


One

by JLaLa



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe, Complete, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2017-12-28 14:05:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 86,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JLaLa/pseuds/JLaLa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Katniss,” her sister responded mockingly. “You need this. One night. One night of pure debauchery.” </p><p>One night, one miscommunication, one baby. </p><p>An Everlark AU loosely based on "Knocked Up".  COMPLETE.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One: Pre-Conception

In which I try to write a fic _loosely_ based on one of my favorite movies, “Knocked Up”.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, beta extraordinaire, who I constantly bug with new chapters and new stories—like this one.

One

By JLaLa

Part One: Pre-Conception

“I’M IN!”

Katniss had been waiting for the letter for weeks. Today, it arrived in a large manila envelope; she had been accepted into her first choice—Johns Hopkins.

She was going to medical school.

Running out the door of her apartment—which was actually her best friend’s pool house—she threw open the door and ran into Johanna’s kitchen.

Her friend turned to her while she placed a bowl of cereal on the table for her daughter, Jenna. “Well?”

“I got in!” she said and waved the letter at her.

Johanna made a grab for the letter so she could read it.

“Well, thank God you got in; I thought you were going to go insane waiting for this thing. In a year—you’re going to learn how to open people up and get paid millions for it. Congratulations, Doctor Everdeen!”

The two embraced excitedly.

Since high school, Katniss had worked her hardest to be on top—she was valedictorian and in the top 5 percentile in their school.

In college, she graduated pre-med with top honors and had volunteered at the local hospitals for experience.

“So, we’re finally getting rid of you.” They turned to see Gale, Johanna’s husband and her other best friend, walking into the kitchen. “Congratulations, Catnip.” He ruffled the top of her head playfully.

“In a year,” Katniss replied with a grin. “Enough time for me to get prepared—I just need some time to relax. I studied for months for the MCAT’S and I need a break.”

“You need to get wasted,” Johanna told her.

“Mommy, what’s ‘get wasted’ mean?” Jenna looked up at them curiously. She was four, with Gale’s grey eyes and Johanna’s piercing stare.

“It’s something that you’re never going to do,” Gale told her and kissed the top of her head.

“We need to go out,” Johanna said and turned to her husband. “What do you think?”

“Rory is going to be working at this new club downtown on Friday,” Gale told them. “Why don’t we go?” He turned to Katniss. “Call Prim up, too, because I know he would LOVE to see her.”

Her younger sister, Prim, had been Rory’s crush for as long as they could remember. The Everdeens and Hawthornes had been neighbors in the suburbs of Central California.

Johanna lived across the street from them with her family. She was an only child, so she often found herself at one of their houses.

“I’ll give her a call. She just finished her last final two days ago,” Katniss replied.

Prim was finishing up her second year at UCLA and pursuing a degree in Art History.

“So, Friday?” Johanna repeated.

Katniss agreed. “Friday.”

++++++

“Peeta.”

“Hmm…”

“PEETA!” The soft foam football hit his back and he jumped out of bed quickly.

Thresh, his roommate, grinned at him. “Get the fuck up, man—it’s noon.”

“And?” Peeta rubbed his back. He had just come home from a bartending gig four hours ago.

“Everyone else is awake,” Thresh informed him. ”Also, we need your piece of the rent.”

“Crap.” He opened his bedside drawer, pulling out random bills, then clumped them into a ball as he handed them to his friend.

Thresh raised his brow. “Dude, you need a checking account.”

“I’ll get to it.”

Together, they walked out of his room and into the living room where the rest of his roommates sat. Finnick and his girlfriend, Annie, sat on the couch engrossed in an episode of Maury as they ate Spaghetti-O’s from the same bowl.

“Hey, Peeta, want some?” Annie asked and lifted her spoon to him. She gave him a serene smile.

Peeta stared at her buzzed green eyes before shaking his head. “No, thanks.”

“NOT THE FATHER!” Finnick screamed and then turned to their last roommate, Cato, who sat in the lounger. “Pay up!”

“Shit.” Cato reached into his pocket and tossed Finnick a twenty.

Peeta and Thresh exchanged glances.

“I don’t know why I stay with you fools,” Thresh said.

“’Cause we’re the shit,” Cato responded with a grin.

He turned to Peeta. “You got a call from your agency. They need you for some gig on Friday—some new club downtown. I wrote down the address for you.”

Peeta went over to the table where their rotary phone sat. ”There’s nothing written here.”

Finnick and Annie looked up at him. Annie let out a giggle which she tried to cover with the palm of her hand.

“What?” Peeta asked. “WHAT?”

“I have to go,” Thresh told them and reached into his pocket to grab his keys before turning back to Peeta.

“Check your forehead, bro.”

++++++

**_Friday_ **

“I’M HERE!”

Katniss ran out of her bedroom and Prim threw herself against her older sister. They tried to spend as much time as they could together over the past months, but with Katniss studying for her MCAT’S and Prim at school full-time—it left them with very little opportunity to see each other.

When she called her little sister, Prim accepted right away.

“I missed you!” Katniss said and put an arm around her then looked her over. “What are you wearing?”

“Clubwear.” Prim twirled, showing off the deep V in the back of her black sequin dress. The skirt barely reached her knees and on her feet were a pair of platform stilettos. Her long blond hair was piled prettily in a high bun on top of her head.

Damn her supermodel looks.

Then Prim looked at her. “What are YOU wearing?”

“Clubwear,” Katniss replied as she presented her white tank and jeans.

“No.” Prim pushed her towards her bedroom. “Johanna told me this would happen.”

“What—?“ The two entered her room and Katniss looked over her reflection in her vanity mirror.

“This is not cute,” Prim said and opened her closet. “You need to get laid, big sister.”

“Primrose!” she scolded.

“Katniss,” her sister responded mockingly. “You need this. One night. One night of pure debauchery.” Prim took out a silk red dress with a slinky neckline and tight waist from the small closet. “Put this on and I’ll go get Johanna’s curling iron.”

“But---“

Prim was already leaving the room.

“Dammit!” Katniss tossed off her tank top and began to unbutton her jeans. She looked at the dress—it was a spur of the moment buy that Johanna had pressured her into getting.

“AND DON’T FORGET SOME SEXY UNDERWEAR!” Prim screamed before closing the door to her place.

++++++

“Hey, Peeta!”

Peeta turned to see Rory Hawthorne, the club’s new DJ, in front of him. The two had met through the club circuit, so he wasn’t surprised to see the young man at the newest club in downtown Los Angeles.

“What’s up, man?” The two shook hands.

“Looks like we’re in for a busy night,” Rory said and Peeta handed him a bottle of water. It could get rather hot at the DJ’s booth. “Listen. My brother, his wife, and my old neighbors are coming out tonight. I was wondering if maybe you could do a hook up for them.”

“Sure,” Peeta said easily. “What do they look like?”

“Gale looks like me, but scarier,” Rory said with a grin. “Johanna, his wife, is a brunette with bobbed hair. Not sure how my neighbors look now—they’re sisters. One’s a blonde and the other one has black hair—well, it was pretty dark from what I remember.”

“I’ll look out for them.”

“Thanks,” Rory replied. “Truth is—I had this huge crush on Prim—she’s the blonde. I’m wondering how she’s looking now.”

“Well, I hope she’s as cute as she was before,” Peeta replied. “You’d better get up there. I think I hear them letting people in.”

Rory waved before departing and he sighed. He could hear the beginning beats of a Lady Gaga song.

Here goes nothing.

++++++

**_Two Hours Later_ **

“I see Rory!” Prim said as they walked into the club.

Katniss looked up at the stage to see Rory behind the turntables in full DJ mode. He had his headphones on and was switching his record when he spotted them. He gave them a quick wave.

“Where are Gale and Johanna?” Katniss asked as they walked through the club.

“They said that would be here in an hour,” Prim said into her ear. “Let’s get some drinks.”

“You can’t drink,” Katniss replied.

“Knowing Rory,” her sister responded. “Someone will give us a drink and come on—look at you.”

“What about me?”

The dress wasn’t horrible and Prim had accessorized it with a gold belt that showed off her waist. On her feet was a pair of simple black stilettos that she borrowed from Johanna’s closet.

Prim had also curled her dark hair so that it hit her shoulders in smooth waves. She completed the look by lining her eyes and placing a light peach gloss on her lips.

“You look hot,” Prim replied. “Ripe for the picking.”

The two sisters went to the bar and found a tight spot towards the end. The bar was full of people and the bartenders were trying to fill as many orders as they could.

“I’m going to say hi to Rory and make a request,” Prim said into her ear.

Katniss nodded and turned to watch her disappear into the crowded dance floor.

_“You loved me and I froze in time…hungry for that flesh of mine_   
_But I can't compete with the she-wolf, who has brought me to my knees…”_

“What can I get you?”

Katniss turned and found herself meeting the eyes of a handsome blonde.  He was about a head taller than her and even in the dim light of the club she could see the bright blue of his eyes.

“What do you suggest?” she asked loudly.

“First time?” he asked.

“I’m not much of a clubber,” Katniss replied. “I’m celebrating and my sister, Prim, made me get all dressed up.” She pointed out her sister who was at the DJ booth talking into Rory’s ear.

“So that’s Prim?” he asked her. “Rory mentioned her. You must be her sister. I’m Peeta.”

The man held out his hand and she shook it. “I’m Katniss.” An unfamiliar tingle ran through her as she touched his skin.

“What are you celebrating?” he asked her.

“I got into medical school,” she replied. “Next year, I’m off to Johns Hopkins.”

“Impressive. Beautiful and smart.”  Peeta reached under the bar and took out a shot glass, filling it.

Katniss felt her face burn.

God, he was cute.

“Drinks are on me tonight,” Peeta said. “Try this. It’s a Lemon Drop.”

She eyed the shot glass and the sugared lemon next to it. “Do one with me.”

“I could get fired for that.”

“I will tell whoever that it’s all _my_ fault—and plus, the customer is always right.”

“You’re getting free drinks.”

“Come on,” Katniss said and leaned forward. “Just one.”

She was actually flirting. God help her.

Peeta looked at her for a moment before taking out another shot glass. He poured his shot and then took out a lemon, coating it with sugar.

“What do I do?” she asked.

“Shot first, then the lemon wedge,” he told her. “Together.”

Katniss nodded and then raised her glass. Toasting with Peeta, she threw the shot back and then took a bite of the sugary lemon.

“Fuck,” she said after she placed her glass down. “I felt that.”

Peeta grinned at her. “How did you like it?”

“Interesting,” she smiled back.

“Katniss!” Prim was rushing towards her. “Let’s dance! I found Gale and Johanna—they’re already out there!” She looked over at Peeta. “Who’s this?”

“Peeta, this is my sister, Prim,” Katniss said. “This is Peeta. He knows Rory.”

The two shook hands quickly and Prim turned to her. “Dance with me?”

Katniss nodded and then turned to Peeta. “Thanks for the drink.”

He smiled at her warmly. “Come back when you want another. I’ll be here till one.”

She waved and let her sister lead her away. As they walked, Prim turned to her with a sly smile.

“He’s adorable,” Prim remarked. ”There’s your one.”

“What?”

“You’ll see.”

++++++

“How’s it going?” Cato asked as he stood at the bar.

 Beside him was Thresh, sipping a Corona and talking to two girls who were probably wasted.

“It’s been a good night,” Peeta said as he wiped his area.

His eyes went to the dance floor and he spotted the familiar red dress of Katniss. Both she and Prim had been out there for most of his shift, coming back every once in a while to grab a drink or some water.

She was pretty.

“Who’s pretty?” Peeta didn’t realize that he spoken out loud and turned to look at Cato who was staring at him. His friend followed his gaze then turned to him again. “The red dress? She’s cute.”

“Her name is Katniss,” Peeta informed him. “Just got into med school.”

“Oh—so you’ve talked to her?” Cato grinned at him.

“Yeah, she knows the DJ.”

“What are we talking about?” Thresh asked as he walked over to them with one of the girls he had been talking to.

“Peeta has a crush.”

Thresh laughed. “No shit! On who?”

“Red dress, dark hair, nice legs,” Cato told their friend.

Thresh turned to look at the floor and then turned back to Peeta. “She’s hot.”

“She’s out of my league,” Peeta said as he wiped the counter again.

“She’s--heading this way!” Cato turned quickly.

Katniss walked over, beaming at him. “What time is it?”

“Ten to one,” Peeta replied. “One last drink before I’m off?”

 “You gonna do it with me?”

“Of course.”

Peeta set their shots up and this time, Katniss quickly tossed back her shot, then sucked the lemon without hesitation.

“Looks like you’re immune to these now,” he remarked.

“Probably.” Katniss smiled softly. “I’m glad I met you.”

“Me, too.”

The two stared at one another for a moment.

Katniss was beautiful; he liked how her eyes resembled smoky coal. He liked how her lips were more peach than pink. She was fun and he enjoyed talking to her.

“Katniss!”

Prim was walking toward them with Rory’s brother and his wife. He could see what Rory meant. Gale was tall and muscular; his eyes were similar in color to Katniss’ but square and sharp. Next to him was Johanna, with her sharp bob and stare—her gaze was striking.

She had one of those ‘don’t fuck with me’ stares.

“We’re heading home,” Prim said. “Gale and Johanna are letting me stay at their house for the night. Ready to go?”

Katniss turned to him and he saw the hesitation in her eyes. He didn’t want her to leave either—that’s all he knew.

“I’m off in two minutes if you want to hang,” he offered.

Her mouth fell into a small smile before she nodded.

Turning to her sister, Katniss shook her head. “I think I’m going to stick around.”

“Okay…” Prim grinned and then went to her sister.

She whispered something and then quickly led the couple away.

When the three were out of her sight, Katniss turned to him again.

“This time I’m buying you drinks.”

++++++

**_One Hour Later_ **

_“I fly like paper, get high like planes_   
_If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name_   
_If you come around here, I make 'em all day_   
_I get one down in a second if you wait…”_

Peeta couldn’t dance. She could tell that much through her drunken haze.

She did, however, like the way his body felt against hers as they danced. Peeta held her waist protectively as they swayed to the music; she didn’t know if it was his cologne or something else, but her nose instinctively went to his neck, taking in his scent.

Peeta met her eyes; his own were glazed from the alcohol. She had made him drink twice as much as she did. He was a bartender; he could tolerate it.

At least, he should’ve been able to.

“Did you want to get out of here?” he asked her.

Katniss took his hand, leading him out. The other blonde and Twerk—or whatever his name was – followed them outside.

“You two are the WORST dancers I’ve ever seen,” the other blonde said once they were out on the curb.

“Shut up, Cato,” Peeta slurred.

She sat on the curb. It was cold. Peeta sat next to her and put an arm around her.

“Can we go home?” she asked and he nodded.

Standing up, she put her index finger and middle finger to her lips, whistling out for a taxi. A bright yellow cab appeared before them and Peeta stood up to open the door for her.

Katniss threw an arm around his neck and kissed him quickly. She waved to his shocked friends and pulled Peeta into the cab with her.

Once inside, she gave the driver her address and Peeta threw him a wad of cash.

“Get there quickly,” she told the man.

Her lips found Peeta’s again.

++++++

“Shhh…”

“There’s a pool here,” Peeta said as they tried to walk quietly to her apartment and away from the main house.

“I know,” she answered and then opened the door.

Walking inside, Katniss slammed the door behind them and Peeta pulled her towards him, their lips meeting as they collided.

Scrambling, she pulled her dress over her head. In the darkness of her place, he could see the smooth curves of her waist and hips. A black lace bra held her firm breasts and his hands found themselves cupping her bottom through the matching lace boyshorts.

Peeta lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her mouth sucking greedily on his neck.

She knew all his spots.

“Bedroom--NOW!” She lifted her head to nod toward the left where an open door was.

Quickly, he carried her to the room. Inside, she pushed herself off him to help him remove his shirt. Her hands found his belt to his jeans and Katniss undid it, unbuttoning and unzipping before finally pulling his pants down, along with his boxer briefs.  Peeta toed off his shoes and pushed the clothes away from him with his feet.

Naked in front of her, Katniss sat back and looked up at him with a grin. “Nice.”

Katniss took off her heels and then pushed herself to the middle of the mattress. “Do you have anything?”

He nodded and reached down into his jean pocket for his wallet.

He knew he had a condom somewhere.

“Peeta, you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then get over here already!”

Peeta looked up at her and dropped his jeans back to the ground.

He crawled towards her and slowly reached to remove the lace bottoms off her hips. His hands ran themselves along the outside of her thighs and she parted herself for him as he let her panties fall to the ground.

He wanted to taste her.

Pulling her to the edge of her bed, he knelt on the ground, resting her thighs on his shoulders. His tongue caressed her, tasting her sweetness; he felt his cock grow harder when she began to respond to his movements inside of her.

“OH FUCK!” She was unrestrained and the desperation in her voice drove him on. His mouth went to her clit and his fingers found themselves encased in her wet insides.

He wanted to show her how good it was going to be once he was finally inside her. Katniss rode his fingers, desperate to come and he followed her movements, sucking on her bud as he did.

“PEETA!”

He felt her tighten around him and she was suddenly pulling him up to his feet. Pushing him onto the bed, she crawled towards him.

“I’ve waited long enough,” Katniss said as she straddled him, removing her bra as she did.

Then without another word, she impaled herself onto his aching cock.

“OH, GOD!” She felt incredible.

Katniss rose again, stopping when she reached the tip of his cock before plunging down once more.

His hands held her hips down and he lifted his own. Katniss cried out as she leaned down to kiss him hungrily while he pushed into her over and over.

As she pushed up to ride him, he began to palm her breasts, pinching her nipples. Katniss moaned when he did and he could feel her tightening around him.

“I know you’re close,” he said to her and she opened her eyes to look at him. “Tell me how to make you come.”

“Fuck me harder!”

Sitting up so that their chests met, her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and his hands pushed her ass against his groin so that they were grinding against each other.

“Hold onto my neck,” he instructed her. Katniss obeyed, entwining her hands behind his neck for leverage. He began to move again with his hands firmly on her pert behind as his pace roughened.

“FUCK!” He began to feel the beginning of his own orgasm as he moved inside her.

Desperately, they began to move unevenly against one another, each one wanting to come.

She was first.

“PEETA!” Inside, he felt her grip his cock and the sensation of it, along with the husky way she called his name, was enough and he was falling apart, filling her as he came.

He fell back exhausted as Katniss fell against him, her head resting on his chest.

“You’re amazing,” she said breathlessly before falling asleep against him.

++++++

Her head was killing her.

And what the hell was she lying on?

She looked up to see herself sprawled on Peeta—the hot bartender.

Katniss stared up at him for a moment; he looked cute even when he was asleep.

Memories of the night before came flooding back.

She propositioned him; she was the one who decided to stay at the club. She was the one who brought him home.

She was the one who told him to fuck her harder.

“Shit.” She slapped her hand against her forehead.

Oh God, he was still inside her. Slowly, Katniss moved herself off him and stepped out of the bed.

The bathroom was on the opposite side of the room, so she slowly walked over and closed the door.

 What had she done?

Quickly, she washed her face and brushed her teeth before tossing a robe on. When she opened the door, she found Peeta already dressed.

“Morning,” she greeted him and he gave her a smile.

“Good morning.” Peeta stood up and walked over to her. “I thought I’d go before I had to do the ‘walk of shame’ in front of your family.”

Katniss shook her head. “No, they know to keep to themselves.” She was silent for a moment. “I don’t know how this goes.”

“How about I just give you my number and if you ever feel like calling….”

“Sure.”

Reaching into his jeans, he handed her a card with his number.

“I’m just going to wait outside for my cab,” he told her.

“Let me get dressed and I’ll wait with you,” she replied.

Tossing off the robe, Katniss grabbed a pair of leggings and an oversized grey sweater from her dresser and put them on.

She turned to see Peeta’s flushed face.

“Sorry. I figured since you saw me naked—“

“We were both pretty messed up, but I liked the morning view,” Peeta replied.

She grinned in spite of the situation. “Let’s go.”

Together, they walked out of the pool house and to the side of the house where they found Gale throwing out the trash and carrying Jenna on the opposite arm.

He gave them a smile. “Morning.”

“Morning, Gale. Morning, Jenna,” Katniss greeted before taking Peeta’s hand and pulling him away.

Katniss could hear Jenna asking who Peeta was as they walked away.

She was going to get ribbed so hard for this.

They found the taxi already there and she bit her lip when they reached the curb.

She actually kind of liked him—the parts she knew anyway.

It would go nowhere.

“It was really nice meeting you, Peeta…”

“Mellark. My last name is Mellark,” he told her. “And yours?”

“Everdeen.”

“Pretty,” Peeta said and kissed her cheek. “It was nice meeting you, Katniss Everdeen.”

Then he was gone.

She turned around and found Johanna, Gale and Prim waiting for her in the front yard, each sporting identical smirks.

“Fuck.”

* * *

 

So ends Part One.

Hate it? Love it? Let me know because feedback is appreciated.

Jenna is for Jena Malone, who will be playing Johanna in the movies, but I prefer to use the double N so there isn’t too much of a mix up.

**Songs:**

“She-Wolf (Falling to Pieces)”-David Guetta featuring Sia

“Paper Planes”-M.I.A.

Next-Part Two: Eight Weeks

-JLaLa


	2. Part Two: Eight Weeks

Your response to the first part of “One” was overwhelming. Thank you so much!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you once again to darling Chelzie, who has to read through my mess of writing—she’s an angel.

Warning: Scenes of drug use

And here we go…

One

By JLaLa

Part Two: Eight Weeks

He didn’t expect to hear from her.

But that didn’t stop Peeta from looking over at the rotary phone as he sat in the living room with his roommates.

“You okay, man?” Finnick asked as he hollowed out the top of an apple with a small knife. “Thinking about that chick?”

“No,” he replied. “It was weeks ago.”

“Bullshit,” Cato responded from where he sat on the lounger. “You need to be a little quieter when you jerk off—kinda disrupts the rest of us when you’re calling out her name in the middle of the night.”

“I think it’s kind of sweet,” Annie said as she blew into a bubble wand from where she sat on the floor, a bowl of soapy water next to her. A spray of bubbles spread through the living room. “She must have been a good lay.”

Thresh poked one of the bubbles from his seat next to Finnick on the couch. “Good fuck or not—the point of the story is that it’s over and done with.”

“Kind of hard not to think about it, especially since Cato took that video of you and your future wifey on his phone,” Finnick joked as he took the knife and carved out a hole into the side of the apple.

Peeta stood up and went to his friend. “What video?”

Cato dug into his pocket and handed Peeta his cell. “Second video in my photo file—the other video is that drunk chick puking on Thresh’s shoes.”

Peeta went to the folder and he felt his stomach jump when her face filled the screen.

_“Look Peeta! We’re on camera!”_

_Katniss hugged his waist as he threw an arm around her. She smiled up at him and their drunken eyes met._

_“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” Peeta looked into the camera. “I’m going to marry this woman!”_

_“You probably want to be sober when you do, bro,” Cato said from behind the phone._

The video ended and he handed the phone back to Cato before sitting back down in his chair, his insides twisting unpleasantly.

From where she on the floor, Annie took her wand and blew up at him.

++++++

“So I heard that Rory took you out to dinner?” Katniss asked as she and Prim entered Johanna’s store.

Johanna owned a small boutique a few blocks away from the Hawthorne house. Business was thriving; most of the pieces were designed by her friend and Johanna had an established clientele in the neighborhood.

“We went to In-N-Out burger. Rory paid—it was no big deal.”

“What the fuck?” Johanna walked over to them from the counter, kissing them both on the cheeks. “Get it together, Rory! He could’ve shelled out for a decent meal—a steak or something.”

“It was fine,” Prim replied easily. “I love In-N-Out. Nothing is better than biting into a good piece of meat.”

She gave them a wicked grin.

“Gross.” Katniss walked over to a mannequin with a red dress—and Peeta Mellark’s face flashed briefly in her mind.

She still had his card in her wallet.

“You okay there?” Johanna walked over to her. “You seem a little off.”

“Just tired, that’s all.” She turned and smiled at her friend. “I have this thing that I can’t seem to fight off.”

“Like what?”

“A stomachache,” Katniss said as she placed her hand on her abdomen. “It’s nothing. I just stay away from the foods that make me feel gross.”

“Sounds like you’re pregnant,” Prim informed her as she looked through a nearby rack. She pulled out a white shift dress. “Johanna, do you have this in black?”

Katniss snorted. “You have to have sex to get pregnant.”

The room went silent.

“Katniss,” Johanna began slowly. “What was the date of your last period?”

She thought back over the last two months. Most of that time had been preparing for her future move—looking over the neighborhoods near her school, as well as taking care of Jenna while Gale and Johanna were at work. In-between those times, she was volunteering at the local hospital. Her friend, Cinna, was a nurse and let her follow him around sometimes.

However, she couldn’t think of a time when she had needed a tampon.

Shit.

“I don’t know,” she managed to whisper.

Her stomach started to lurch.

“Holy crap!” Prim went up to her. “Mom and Dad are going to _kill_ you.”

“Shut up, Prim!” Johanna scolded and went to the register.

Pulling out a stack of bills, she closed the register and walked over to the sisters. “Prim—go across the street to the pharmacy. Get as many tests as you can and something for Katniss to drink.”

“You’re taking money from your own register?” Prim asked as she took the cash.

“It’s petty cash—Gale does the books,” Johanna informed her. “Best that he doesn’t know.” She looked over at the ashen Katniss. “In case it’s just a fluke.”

There was something, however, that told her it wasn’t.

++++++

“Just keep drinking,” Johanna told her from behind the bathroom door.

They had closed the store for lunch when Prim had returned from the pharmacy with ten pregnancy tests and three bottles of apple juice.

Katniss looked down at the counter where the ten tests sat, mocking her.

Tests one and two were both plus signs. Test three, four, and five were double pink lines. Tests six and seven were double blue lines.

Tests eight and nine just said, ‘ **PREGNANT** ’.

The last test was unopened. She couldn’t do it.

Her life was over.

Putting the toilet seat cover down, Katniss sat down.  

“Don’t cry,” she told herself.

The tears came anyway.

A soft knock came through the door. “Katniss? You okay?” It was Prim.

Opening the door, her sister quickly slipped in, along with Johanna. Katniss looked up at them, no longer hiding her tears. The wet streaks lined her cheeks and her usually tamed hair was now undone, her bangs sticking to her forehead.

Johanna looked over the tests and then turned to her. “You’re going to be okay.”

“Am I?”

“Why didn’t you take the last test?” Prim asked after she looked over the others.

“I couldn’t handle the thought of having another test tell me what I already know,” Katniss replied and stood up. “That I’m fucked.”

“Let me take one,” Johanna offered. “It’ll be like the test one—just to make sure that these aren’t bogus.” She unwrapped it and glared at them. “You bitches turn around. I don’t want you staring at this magnificent vagina—it might be too much for you to handle.”

Katniss and Prim obliged, turning to look at the door. Prim took her sister’s hand.

“Are you going to call him?” she asked Katniss as they listened to Johanna mutter to herself.

“I guess I should.” Katniss sighed. “I really liked him, too.”

“He’s a bartender, you’re going to medical school,” her sister reasoned. “How is this going to work?”

Katniss met her eyes somberly. “I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

“It’s NEGATIVE!” Johanna said. “Oh, thank God!”  Her eyes met Katniss’. “Sorry.”

++++++

“Where does the name Katniss come from?”

Peeta stopped in his tracks. Walking to the living room, he found Annie holding the phone to her ear.

“A plant, huh?” Her glazed eyes met his. “We’ve heard a lot about you—especially at night. You should come over and keep him company.” Annie paused. “Where is he now? Right in front of me, looks like he wants to choke me out—“

“May I have the phone?” he asked and held out his hand.

Annie giggled. “What will you give me?”

“In my room, under the bed, there’s a bag of Tootsie pops—“

She threw the phone at him and ran down the hallway to his room.

Peeta took a breath before putting the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Peeta? It’s me—Katniss. From the club—and my pool house?”

“How are you?” he asked her. “I’ve thought about you—“

“At night, I heard,” Katniss replied and he could tell that she was trying not to laugh over the phone. “Listen—can you meet me tonight? There’s this restaurant near my place...”

She told him the address.

“I know where that is.” Cato and Thresh walked through the front door. “How’s seven work for you?”

“Seven is good,” Katniss replied breathlessly. “See you then.”

“Hey, Katniss?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t wait to see you,” he told her.

She paused for a moment and he could hear the definite smile in her voice when she responded.

“Me, too—see you at seven.”

Peeta waited for her to hang up before placing the receiver back on the phone. He turned to see Cato and Thresh grinning at him.

“What was that?” Cato asked. “Missed a little bit of Peeta Mellark in her, right?”

He shook his head. ”We’re having dinner tonight.”

“FINALLY!” Thresh slapped him on the back.

“Now I need a favor,” he told them.

“Name it, dude,” Cato said.

“I need some cash,” he told them. Bartending gigs had slowed down this month. “I should at least pay for dinner, right?”

++++++

Katniss fiddled with the napkin on her lap.

What the hell was she doing?

In the back of her mind, she knew that didn’t have to do this. She could get this taken care of.

As someone in medicine, she still felt that she owed it to herself to look over all options when making a decision like this.

Maybe talking to Peeta would help her make the decision easier.

“You look beautiful.”

She looked up to see Peeta staring at her in the peach dress that Johanna forced her into. Apparently, it made her boobs look bigger which, according to her friend, couldn’t hurt when she had to tell him the news.

He wore a grey blazer with black button down shirt underneath and a pair of dark wash jeans.

Damn—he was cute. This was going to suck.

She stood up quickly and Peeta opened his arms to her. Katniss found herself easily rushing to him, her head resting against his chest so she could listen to his heartbeat against his chest. Her own arms wrapped around his waist.

Looking up at him, Katniss smiled. “It’s been a while.”

“A few weeks or so,” he replied. “Come on, let’s sit down.” Peeta went to her chair, holding it out for her.

Katniss sat down and he helped her adjust before going to his own seat.

This would’ve been easier if he was an asshole.

“So Annie is your roommate?” she asked.

“My roommate Finnick’s girlfriend,” Peeta replied. “But she pretty much lives there, too.”

“So you live with just the two of them?”

“Cato and Thresh live there as well.”

“That’s a lot of people,” she remarked, taking a sip of water from her glass. “Before we have dinner, I need to tell you something.”

Katniss felt the urge to vomit; other than the stomachache, this would’ve been the first pregnancy symptom that she noticed.

“You look nervous,” he said to her and gave her an assuring smile. “Nothing you say could be that bad.”

She took a deep breath.  “I’m pregnant.”

Peeta stared for a moment. “With emotion?”

“With a baby.”

“Wow, a lot has changed in a few weeks,” Peeta told her, suddenly disheartened. “Congratulations?”

“It’s yours.”

“No, it’s not.” It came out of his mouth without thinking. “Weren’t you on anything? Some sort of shot or pill? A cap?”

“I wasn’t,” she responded. “You were supposed to put on a condom!”

“You told me not to!”

“I DID NOT!” The restaurant noise suddenly decreased.

“You told me ‘to get over here already’, which I took as you not needing me to put anything on,” Peeta replied through gritted teeth.

“What kind of idiot comes up with that conclusion?” Katniss’ eyes were blazing.

“The one that got you pregnant, obviously.”

The two stilled in their seats. Peeta looked over as she wiped her eyes and felt the fire in his belly fade.

“Don’t cry,” he told her softly. “I’m sorry. This wasn’t what I was expecting.”

“And you think I was? I’m supposed to be going to Johns Hopkins in a few months!” Katniss felt the tears forming and took the napkin from her lap to wipe them away. Damn hormones. “How am I going to tell my parents?”

“Why don’t we wait on that?” he suggested after a moment. “You’ve taken a pregnancy test?”

Katniss nodded. “Nine of them.”

“Nine. Ambitious of you.” He was rewarded with a glare.

“Wanted to make sure that it was real.”

“Did you make an appointment with your doctor?”

“I made one with Johanna’s doctor,” she told him. “For tomorrow.”

“Then I’m coming along,” Peeta said. “We’re going to figure this out, okay?”

“How?”

He wasn’t sure yet.

++++++

“You knocked her up?” Cato said as they sat on the couch. Using a coin to remove the foil lining of the gum wrapper, he began to make crease in it as he talked to his friend. “That’s crazy.”

“And you’re sure it’s yours?” Thresh asked on his other side, halfway through his blunt.

“We’re going tomorrow to find out how long it’s been,” Peeta informed them.  “Something tells me it is mine.”

“Have you two considered other options?” Cato asked carefully. “It’s not too late…”

“No!” Finnick looked up from the carpet. Annie laid next to him sucking on a red Tootsie pop. “Don’t do that—it’s wrong.”

“It’s not wrong, you big baby,” their friend argued. “What’s wrong is not to consider it.”

Annie pulled the lollipop from her mouth and flipped onto her stomach. She looked at them, her eyes glassy.

“What’s wrong is that none of you dicks will ever understand what goes on inside a woman’s body, so you can’t tell them what to do,” she said, her usual timid voice suddenly hard. “Tomorrow, you’re going to see a baby inside her. Just be there for her.” Her eyes met Peeta’s. “Because both of you won’t know what hit you.”

Annie flipped onto her back and put the Tootsie pop back in her mouth.

Finnick kissed her forehead and then looked up at them with a smug grin. “Magna cum laude at Sarah Lawrence, this one.”

Sometimes Peeta didn’t think he knew his friends at all.

++++++

Peeta arrived at the front door of the Hawthorne house an hour before their appointment.

Katniss opened the door in a pair of skinny jeans and a loose top. She looked tired but she managed to smile at him.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Rough morning,” she told him. “Thank God you’re here. We had to tell Gale and he is not happy. I’m lucky that he didn’t call my Mom and Dad. He is such a tattler—always has been since we were kids.”

Taking his hand, Katniss led him into the house, closing the door behind them. The inside was full of beautiful cream-colored walls filled with photos and a hardwood floor.

He was in the Technicolor version of the ‘Leave It to Beaver’ house.

He tugged her hand softly. “Come here.”

Peeta pulled her close and she laid her head against his shoulder. When did the need to feel her against him become something so special to him? He tightened his hold.

Nothing would ever hurt them.

A cough interrupted them and he looked up to see Gale’s menacing glare. The other man walked down the staircase towards the two, his eyes staring solely at Peeta.

The two pulled away slowly and Katniss gave him a small smile.

“Gale, this is Peeta Mellark,” she introduced them as her hand firmly held his.

Peeta held out his hand to Gale. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Gale stared at him for a moment. His eyes, though the same color as Katniss’, held a cold anger when he looked at Peeta. It was obvious that Gale wasn’t happy about him or the situation and he wasn’t trying to hide it.

“Johanna is waiting for us,” he told them, then walked down the hallway.

Peeta put his hand down. “Nice guy.”

Katniss turned to him. “He’s disappointed. Gale always believed that I was the one that was set in life.”

“Then I fucked it up,” he replied.

She felt the beginning of a headache. “Let’s get this breakfast over with.”

The two walked into the kitchen. Jenna looked up from her chair and her eyes immediately went to Peeta.

“Who’s that?” she asked Katniss.

Peeta sat in the chair next to Jenna. “I’m Peeta,” he told her while holding out his hand.

Jenna eyed him and Peeta could see how her stare was an intermingling of Johanna and Gale—suspicious yet analytical. He could tell she was trying to determine whether he was good or bad.

Finally, she shook his hand once. “Do you like Lucky Charms?”

“The cereal? Who doesn’t?” He smiled at the little girl.

Katniss watched them before sitting next to Peeta and across from Jenna. Would this be their life if she had a baby? She hadn’t slept the entire night, instead thinking of the possibility of raising a baby. She knew she could do it, but did she want to?

She met Johanna’s eyes. Johanna went to Jenna and placed a bowl of cereal in front of her, then one in front of Peeta before giving him a quick smile and nod.

“What’s your favorite marshmallow shape?” Jenna asked, her eyes serious. “I like the rainbows.”

“I like the clovers,” Peeta replied. He took his spoon and began to scoop the rainbow marshmallows into Jenna’s bowl.

Gale sat next to Katniss, a cup of coffee in his hand. “What does he do for a living—other than bartending?”

She turned to him. “I think he just does that.”

“And where does he live?”

“About twenty minutes away with four of his roommates.”

“Geez, Katniss—really?” Gale whispered in her ear. “Of all people—a bartender who doesn’t even have his own place?”

Katniss turned to look at Peeta. Jenna was scooping the clovers into his bowl for him. She felt her mouth draw up into a smile.

She looked at Gale again—and swallowed the lump in her throat. “Please give him a chance.”

Gale looked over at Peeta and his daughter, who was explaining the meaning of each marshmallow to him.

He turned back to Katniss and ruffled the top of her head. “Okay, Catnip.”

++++++

It looked like a floral explosion in the examination room. Pink wallpaper with white tea roses, and a white wicker table in the corner with pamphlets about childbirth. There was also a vase near the window filled with bright pink tulips.

“This room is making me sick,” Katniss said as she sat on the padded exam table. Her white gown hung from her body.

Peeta sat in a nearby wicker chair trying not to stare at the pictures of the smiling babies across from him.

He adjusted the floral cushion under him. “So this doctor—is Johanna’s, too?”

“Yeah, I didn’t really have a lady parts doctor,” she explained. “I wasn’t having sex regularly and I’ve been busy, so I never really thought about going until now. Trust me, I cringe thinking that this woman has seen Johanna’s vagina and now she’s going to be looking at mine.”

“It’ll be a nice bonding moment for you two.”

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The door opened to reveal a petite woman in bright pink scrubs with light blond hair and an ivory face, grinning from ear to ear.

“Hello, I’m Effie,” she introduced herself, shaking Peeta’s hand first, then Katniss’.

Peeta introduced himself to the woman—she looked young. “You’re a doctor, right?” he asked.

“Of course, sweetheart,” she told him with a giggle.

Opening Katniss’ chart, she handed him a piece of paper. “Credentials and contact information for you. Graduated from UCSF, my residency was at Cedars-Sinai before I opened my own practice. I just prefer my patients to call me Effie—you know, white coat syndrome and all.”

Effie looked over Katniss’ chart and then turned to her.

“So we’re doing a double check?” She went to the sink and began to wash her hands. “Any other symptoms besides your missed cycle and nausea?”

“I threw up this morning,” Katniss replied. “And I’ve been tired.”

“Well, let’s just take a look,” Effie told her as she put on some gloves, then looked over at Peeta. “Why don’t you go over to this side? You’ll get a better view.”

Peeta jumped from his chair and went to Katniss’ side. She gave a grateful smile.

“Now scoot down, love, and put your feet in the stirrups,” Effie instructed. “The usual probe won’t be used until later, so we’re going have to use this one.” She went to the ultrasound machine next to the exam table.

Taking out a long wand from its holder, she rolled a plastic covering onto it.

“That’s going to fit into her?”

Effie chuckled. “You’ll find, Peeta, that a woman’s body can accommodate a lot of things.” She met Katniss’ eyes. “Deep breath.”

Suddenly, Peeta felt sick. He steadied himself when Katniss grabbed his hand.

Effie looked at the screen and adjusted the probe. “So everything looks good!” She adjusted the volume and a sound similar to galloping filled the room. “Heart rate is perfect.”

Katniss sat up on her elbows and looked at the screen. “So there’s an actual baby in there?”

Effie nodded. “A tiny one, but it’s there.” She pointed at an oval space on the screen and inside laid a tiny bean against the wall of it. “You see, right there? That movement—there’s the heart. It takes up most of the body for now. Let me take some pictures.”

Peeta stood watching the quick fluttering of the little jellybean.

Holy shit.

Effie took the probe out of Katniss as the pictures printed. When she was finished up with Katniss, she handed the photos to Peeta.

Katniss sat up slowly and began to sob. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as a strangled sound arose from her throat.

It was the sound of someone who knew that their lives had completely changed.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

++++++

Katniss laid in bed, one hand on her abdomen and the other holding up the sonogram photo.

After she had dropped off a shell-shocked Peeta, she drove straight home and threw up in the driveway—right as Gale and Johanna arrived home.

“It’s cute,” Johanna remarked from where she laid on Katniss’ right.

“Yeah,” Gale added from her left. “It looks like it’s waving—like it’s saying ‘Hi, Mommy…’” His voice cracked as he tried to raise it. “Sorry, I’m no good with fetus impersonations.”

“Before he got out of the car, I told him that I was going to keep it,” Katniss told them.

The couple looked at their friend just in time to see the tears roll down the side of her face.

“What did he say?” Johanna asked.

“He just sort of nodded…then got of the car,” she replied in a tight voice. “I don’t blame him. This is real. There is a real live baby in there—with a heartbeat and everything!”

“No matter what,” Johanna said. “We’ll be here—we’ll help you raise the baby!”  She grinned at her friend.

After a moment, Gale sat up and turned to his wife. “Wait—what?”

Johanna sat up and glared at him for a moment.  “We. Will. Help. Her.”

She was talking through clenched teeth, which was never a good sign.

The couple communicated through their eyes before Johanna nodded and laid back down.

Gale looked down at both of them. “Well—fuck.”

++++++

Peeta sat in the backyard, a beer in one hand and the sonogram photo in the other.

“So that’s it, huh?” Thresh sat next to him on the lawn. Peeta handed him the photo and he looked over it before handing it back. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly father material.”

“I’ll admit you’re not at that point--but who really is when it comes to something like this?”

“Just tell me,” Peeta asked his friend. “Do you think I can do this?”

Thresh sat silent before answering. “I think this is something that you just have to roll with.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means that I know you want to give this a go. If you didn’t, that picture would’ve been in the trash and you would’ve been in there—“

He pointed at the clear sliding door where Annie, Finnick and Cato sat, passing a smoking apple to one another.

“You just have to hope that you’re lucky enough to get into something good.”

Peeta turned to him. “What did you say?”

“You just have to be lucky—where are you going?” Thresh watched him shoot up from his spot.

“Out.”

“Out where?”

Peeta turned to him. “Tell me congratulations.”

Thresh nodded and gave him a smile. “Congratulations.”

++++++

When Peeta knocked on the door, Gale answered. He stared at Peeta for a moment before opening the door for him.

“She went out to dinner with Johanna and Prim. Girls night or something like that,” he told Peeta. “Why are you here?”

“To grovel.”

“I’ll make some coffee.”

Together, the two went into the kitchen where Jenna sat coloring at the table. She looked up and gave Peeta a toothy smile.

“Hi, Peeta,” she greeted. “Are you here for dinner?”

Peeta looked over at Gale who shrugged. “Hope you like hot dogs.”

“I love hot dogs!” Jenna told him. “Mommy never lets me have them but Daddy does—when she’s not here.”

Peeta looked over at Gale who shrugged. “Makes dinner time a little easier for me.”

“Have you ever had a hot dog roll?” Peeta asked the girl.

She shook her head. “No, can you make me one?”

He looked over at Gale. “You have any yeast and flour?”

“Top cabinet, next to the fridge.”

Peeta nodded then looked over at Jenna. “Come on now—every baker needs an assistant.”

Jenna jumped from her seat. “Yay!” Then she turned to Gale, her eyes serious.

“Daddy, finish coloring for me, okay?”

Gale wondered when Jenna learned to master her mother’s stare.

++++++

“You did well tonight,” Gale said after he brought Jenna to bed.

Peeta looked up from the picture that he was coloring. “Thanks.” He folded the paper and put it in his pocket. “Does it get easier?”

“What?”

“Having a kid.”

Gale sat in the chair across from him. “No, it doesn’t. Kids just show you that all the petty grown up shit won’t make you happy—it’s all about the simple things. Like you baking some rolls with Jenna—she had the time of her life.”

“Really?” Peeta smiled at the thought.

“I work a nine hour day as a business manager for four different companies; one of them is Johanna’s, which I do for free,” he informed Peeta. “If I could be as excited about one of those companies as much as Jenna did baking with you—then it would all be worth it. You spend a majority of your life trying to grow up, thinking it’ll make you happy. In the end, you wish that you were still a kid.”

“Interesting—there must be a way to combine the two.”

“If you figure out how—let me know.” Gale slid a key across the table. “Katniss will be home soon.”

Peeta stood up and put the key in his pocket. “Thanks.”

Gale nodded. “Check your jacket pocket—they’re a present from Jenna.”

Opening the back door, Peeta walked out of the kitchen towards Katniss’ place.

As he walked, he reached into his jacket pocket. Inside was a sandwich bag full of clover marshmallows.

He took it as a good sign.

++++++

Katniss walked tiredly to her home. She had fun with Johanna and Prim, but this pregnancy was wearing her down already. She just wanted to get into her sweats and go to bed.

Finally reaching her door, Katniss found a folded piece of paper taped to it. She pulled it off and unfolded it, revealing a picture of a large green clover.

“What the fuck?” she stared at it as she opened the door.

“I was wondering when you would get home.”

She looked up to find Peeta standing a few feet away from her.

“What are you doing here?”

Peeta walked towards her.  “I just wanted to say that I’m in. I’m ALL in—if you want me here. If I’m lucky enough to have you—both of you—in my life.”

Katniss looked up at him and she was scared—she could admit that. But with Peeta, she found that she didn’t mind it.

So she took his hand and placed it on her barely there bump. “We’re in, too.”

Lifting her chin with his finger, Peeta kissed her softly. The feeling of his lips against hers brought back memories of that first night and she found herself pressing her body against his.

“Now that we have this all settled—will you take me to bed?” she asked.

“You might want to close the door first,” Peeta replied, his lips still against hers.

 

So she did.

* * *

 

As you’ve noticed—there are similarities to the movie but differences too. I hope you’re enjoying so far!

According to Wikipedia, the clovers in Lucky Charms cereal mean, “luck, but you will never know what kind of luck you'll get.” This will mean something later.

There’s a line or two and some scenes similar to the movie. Did you catch them?

The whole apple smoking thing—well—my husband had to tell me about that, as well as how to make a zigzag from a gum wrapper. Don’t ask how he knows.

Annie’s character is a combination of Charlene Yi and Jonah Hill’s characters (his character was the one who graduated from college—I believe), as well as few other people not from this movie—part stoner/part genius, that one.

Thank you for reviews and the love—always appreciated!

Next: Part Three: Ten weeks—we tell the parents.

-JLaLa


	3. Part Three: Ten Weeks

Thank you for reading so far—you’re awesome!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie for being my beta and tolerating me—she’s an angel.

One

By JLaLa

Part Three: Ten Weeks

She was woken up by his hand caressing her small belly.

Katniss slowly opened her eyes and looked down, watching Peeta’s hand move back and forth as he slumbered. Her bump was a bit more prominent; since, according to the books, the little one was now developing some very vital organs and sporting a rather large head.

They had come to a nice place in their relationship.

There was kissing and there was sex—mostly initiated by her. Peeta worried about hurting the baby, even when Effie assured him that most couples still had sex while pregnant.

Though she did warn him about blowing into her vagina—and then sent them packing with brochures about safe sex positions during pregnancy.

The two of them were slowly learning to fit themselves into one another’s lives. Peeta had dinner at the Hawthornes’; she had met his roommates. Annie, in particular, was especially fascinated by Katniss.

They switched off between her apartment and his house; this weekend she was at his place.

So there Katniss was, spooned against the father of her child, enjoying the feel of his hand on the little plum inside her.

For a moment, everything was perfect.

Then her stomach lurched and the sour taste of vomit began to fill her mouth. She sat up quickly, pushing Peeta’s hand off of her as she did.

Throwing the blankets aside, Katniss jumped out of bed, threw open the bedroom door and rushed down the hall to the bathroom.

Cato stood in front of the door, ready to turn the knob when she practically threw him against the opposite wall.

“HEY!” he yelled as she slammed the door in his face.

She just barely reached the toilet when the vomit came.

Katniss would never get used to this. It felt like a millennium as she retched into the toilet. How could so much come out of her when she could barely eat anything?

Everything made her sick.

She had to change her toothpaste because it just made her throw up. Last week, it was Peeta’s shampoo scent.

Finally, it stopped. Then he was there.

Peeta sat next to her on the floor with a glass of water and some saltines. She took the saltines first and the dry crackers immediately calmed her aching stomach.

“Morning,” he said hoarsely and she gave him a closed-mouthed smile.

She enjoyed his morning voice, especially when he woke her with his mouth against her ear.

“Morning,” she responded, her voice just as rough. “It’s going to be an interesting day.”

“Started off interesting enough,” Peeta said and reached over to touch her cheek. “Do you want me to make you some pancakes?”

Katniss nodded and he stood up, holding out his hand so that he could help her stand. Once on her feet, she put her head against his chest and he kissed the top of her head.

And everything was perfect again.

The door burst open and Cato rushed in, his face crimson.

“I can’t wait—IF YOU TWO DON’T GET OUT OF HERE, I’M GOING TO PEE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!”

++++++

Peeta adjusted his navy button down shirt. His mother had bought it for him in the hope that he would use it for job interviews.

He hadn’t bothered to even take it out of the box, and had just cut the price tag off it only seconds ago.

His eyes wandered over to where the stack of bills was piling up. His gigs had definitely slowed, so he was working at a small wine bar that was within walking distance, but only three times a week. Katniss was still using her student insurance for her visits with Effie, but that would expire in two months.

Peeta knew he needed to find a way to support her and the baby, but he was stuck on one thing.

He had no idea what to do with his life.

Bartending was easy enough—the job had just fallen into his lap one day.

When he was in college, Peeta could memorize drink recipes like no one else could, so all the frat boys hired him for their parties. When he decided that college wasn’t for him, one of those same frat boys suggested the club circuits for some easy cash.

And it had worked out—when it was just him.

Putting on his dark brown leather shoes, Peeta walked out of his room and into the living room where he found Katniss and Annie sitting on the couch.

“Your boobs look bigger than they did last week.” Annie eyed Katniss’ chest. “Can I touch one? Is there milk in there already?”

“Um—I don’t think that there’s milk in there yet,” Katniss replied with an amused smile.

“Your body is reacting well to the pregnancy,” Finnick added from his seat. He had been especially considerate, though unusually fascinated when it came to Katniss.

Peeta once caught him reading one of the baby books that were stacked in his bedroom.

“Thanks,” she answered back awkwardly. Katniss met Peeta’s eyes. “Are you ready?”

He nodded and she stood up, adjusting the wide skirt of her dress that concealed her condition. The top of the navy dress was sleeveless with a white collar.

“Don’t you two look nice?” Thresh said as he walked into the room holding a bowl of cereal. “Very Doris Day and Rock Hudson.”

“You’ve been watching too much AMC,” Peeta told his friend. “We’re off.”

“Good luck,” Finnick said with a lazy grin.

“Try not to vomit before you tell them about the baby,” Annie advised as they walked towards the front door. “If anything, crying usually helps.”

“Should I be worried?” Katniss asked him once they finally stepped out of the house and into the muggy heat.

“No, they’re exaggerating,” he replied with a nervous laugh.

“Liar.”

“I know.”

Today, they were telling his parents.

++++++

The Mellarks lived forty minutes away. It was close enough for Peeta to get there for birthdays or holidays, but far enough that he didn’t have visit every weekend.

“So tell me a little more about your family,” she said as he drove her electric blue VW Beetle down the highway. “Besides the fact that your Dad is an architect and your Mom is an art restorer, I don’t know anything else.”

“That’s how they met,” Peeta replied, his eyes on the road. “My Dad just finished building a house for my godfather and my mother was restoring an old piece that was going into the house. They got into a fight over how to get the ugly sculpture into the house, then got married eight months later.”

“And what about your brothers?”

“Will is a lawyer and Cal is a realtor,” he informed her. “Both are single and perfectly happy about it.”

“And then there’s you. How did your brothers get Will and Cal, but you got the name ‘Peeta’?”

“I’m named after my grandfather.” He turned to look at her quickly. “They say I look just like him.”

Katniss grinned teasingly. “So he was a hot blond with amazing dexterity, too?”

“Don’t make me pull this car over.”

“I dare you—“

She was interrupted by the loud squeal of the car’s tires as it cut across two lanes and Peeta pulled off on the shoulder of the highway.

He turned to her, and Katniss unbuckled her seatbelt so that she could move onto her knees. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her onto his lap so she could straighten her legs on her seat.

“I took your dare,” Peeta said as his lips teased hers. He looked into her coal eyes and his hand reached over to push the stray bang from her forehead.

“Your heart is racing,” she whispered and placed a small kiss against his lower lip.

He leaned his forehead against her. “It’s because of you.”

Her mouth moved over his and he surrendered himself to the taste of mint and chocolate—mint for her toothpaste and chocolate from the pancakes he made her that morning. His hand moved over the small bump that was their little one and stroked it gently as he ravished her mouth.

They pulled apart breathlessly and she smiled at him. “I like this.”

“So do I,” he replied affectionately. “I like fitting myself into the little compartments in your life.” Peeta took a deep breath.  “I have to tell you something.”

“Am I going to be mad?”

“Maybe,” Peeta told her. “I told my parents that you were my—girlfriend.”

She raised a brow at him. “Aren’t I?”

“Are you?”

Katniss thought for a moment. “We’ve never really talked about that. I guess I am. It’s better than ‘Mellark baby carrier.’”

“So we’ve decided that the last name will definitely be Mellark?

“This list of baby topics keeps on getting longer,” she thought out loud, then reached for her phone in the car’s cup holder to write it in her notes. “Discuss last name.”

“So you really have a list?”

“It says to have one in the baby book I have,” Katniss looked over at him. “In chapter five. How far have you gotten in your version?”

“Page six.” Her face fell at his answer. “I’ve been busy at the bar—“

“I know,” she said with a sigh. “Anything else we need to discuss?”

“I told my parents that we’ve been dating for six months.”

“Don’t you think I should know a little bit more about you since we’ve been _supposedly_ dating for six months?” Katniss moved herself off him and sat back, her eyes wide. She leaned back against the door. “How long do we have until we get there?”

“About twenty minutes.”

She reached for her phone. “Okay. Give me the Peeta Mellark _Wikipedia_ version of your life.”

Peeta started the car and pulled off the shoulder. “Where do I start?”

“How about your birthday?”

++++++

“You live here?”

Katniss looked up at the Mellark house. Perched on a hill and surrounded by trees, the house was a combination of light-colored timber and glass walls that overlooked the city below. It was modern and everything her old childhood home wasn’t.

“I _lived_ here,” Peeta corrected. “Looks like this is the latest remodel.” He gave her a wary smile. “Are you ready?”

She turned to him and smoothed down the collar of his shirt. “Now you’re perfect.”

Peeta grimaced. “Try telling my Mom that.”

The door burst open and she instinctively took his hand, feeling him squeeze hers as his parents rushed out.

Both Mellark parentals were blond and blue eyed; Katniss subconsciously smoothed her dark hair, suddenly feeling very out of place.

She hoped the baby would be a brunette.

“Peeta! You don’t keep us waiting while we spy on you from the living room,” his mother scolded and then kissed his cheek.

Mr. Mellark turned to Katniss and gave her a welcoming smile. “Hi, I’m Richard—Peeta’s father.” He shook her hand. She could see that Peeta got his square jaw from his Dad, as well as his eyes.

“I’m Katniss Everdeen,” she replied nervously and her stomach lurched. Katniss placed a hand on her abdomen. She looked up to see Peeta’s dad watching her, his eyes on where her hand rested. “Sorry, I get carsick sometimes.”

“Mom, this is Katniss,” Peeta said as he joined them.  

Peeta’s mother was beautiful with a heart shaped face and blonde waves. Her eyes were a little sharper, but striking nonetheless.

“Anna Mellark,” his mother said with a gracious smile, revealing pearly white teeth. “It’s really nice to meet you, especially since we had no idea that you existed until a week ago.”

 Katniss wasn’t quite sure whether she was being sweet or snide.

“It’s okay,” she replied.

“Why don’t we all head inside?” Richard suggested. “Your brothers are here. They’re dying to meet Katniss.”

“Oh, good,” Peeta said weakly. He turned to her. “Are you all right?”

“I feel sick,” she whispered into his ear. “And I think your Dad suspects something, seeing as how I almost barfed on him.”

“Five minutes here and it’s all falling apart.”

“What do you mean?” Katniss asked.

“I just had a conversation with my mother about the student loans that she is still paying off,” Peeta said as he put an arm around her and led her up the porch. “Then she proceeded to berate me about where I live and what I do.”

Katniss stopped in place as Peeta’s parents walked inside.

“Listen. Not everyone has their life figured out at our ages.”  He was 24, a year older than her.

“You do.”

“Obviously not.” She looked down at where the bump was hidden.

“Are you two coming in?” Anna asked as she walked out to join them.

Katniss smiled and nodded at the woman before taking Peeta’s hand to go into the house.

++++++

“You live in ‘The Lake House’,” Katniss told him as they walked in.

“Huh?”

Peeta led her over to the plush sectional that rested against a wooden wall. A large canvas with multi-colored splotches hung on the wall behind them.

“I think it was that movie with Keanu Reeves.” She looked up to see wheat-colored haired man in a white button down and grey suit pants. He gave her a friendly smile, similar to Peeta’s. “Will Mellark.”

He handed her a glass of wine before handing one to Peeta.

“Katniss Everdeen.”

“Where is Cal?” Richard asked.

“Finishing up a deal,” Will replied.

Peeta downed his glass then took Katniss’ so that he could drink hers.  She caught Richard’s eyes and felt her stomach lurch.

“I need to wash up from the road trip,” she told Peeta. “Bathroom?”

“Peeta, take Katniss upstairs—we’re redoing the downstairs half-bath,” his mother instructed.

“Don’t take too long you two,” Will teased. “Mom is infamous for finding girls in our rooms.”

“So how many girls have been in your room?” she asked as they walked up the stairs with floating railings.

“Not many,” he told her as they reached the top and made a left. “You want to see my room?”

“How many girls?” she demanded.

“Two.” Katniss turned to see a skinny, dirty-blond haired man with Anna’s eyes grinning at her. “Little brother finally brought a girl home—I’m Cal.”

“Katniss.”

“I’ll give you both a few minutes. By the way, one of them was our next door neighbor and the other was just a hot mess,” Cal informed her. He patted Peeta’s shoulder. “I’ll try to distract them until Mom decides to come rushing up.”

“Thanks,” Peeta responded, his smile a little more relaxed.

Cal winked at her and then turned to Peeta. “I have a feeling about this one,” he said before going down the stairs.

“Your family is very fast-paced,” Katniss remarked.

“Tell me about it,” he said as he led her to the bathroom door. “Look for me—I need a few minutes before we go back down.”

She nodded before walking into the bathroom.

++++++

Katniss looked at herself in the mirror—was she showing? She placed a hand on her belly and rubbed it slowly. “You okay in there?”

There was no response, except for the growl coming from her stomach. It was hungry.

“We’re eating soon,” she assured her belly. “Little one—we have to tell your grandparents that you exist today—so for the love of God, please stop sending me little hormonal messages that make me want to vomit.”

She washed her hands and stepped out of the bathroom, in search of Peeta.

It was obvious that the double doors at the opposite end were for the master bedroom. She walked down the hallway, peeking into each room—all of them impeccably decorated. Katniss knew one of them was Will’s, due to the Yale Law School flag hanging on the wall.

She knew Peeta’s room immediately. It was as chaotic as he was—and she loved it.

There were sketches hanging from the walls and charcoal pencils on the desk. The twin bed had grey flannel sheets and she sat on it, picturing an adolescent Peeta dreaming away on it. Her eyes went to a framed photo of the Mellark family by a lake on his bedside table—Peeta looked about ten in the photo.

“We used to go there every summer.” She looked up and saw him at the doorway. Peeta walked over and sat next to her.

“Is this around Russian River?” she asked.

“Yup.”

“I used to go there with my family, too.” Katniss leaned back against his headboard and smiled at him. “Wouldn’t it be funny if we passed each other and didn’t even know it?”

“That didn’t happen,” he said. “Scoot over.”

Katniss moved to the far end so that she sat between the wall and him. “How do you know?”

“Because I would’ve remembered you—” Peeta turned to her and lifted her chin. “And I would’ve been a goner.”

She bit her lip to stop herself from crying. Fucking hormones.

++++++

“I can’t do this,” Katniss whispered as they walked down the stairs.

“We have to tell them,” he responded, though he tightened his grip on her hand. “I know this isn’t going to be easy, but just think—next week, we get to tell _your_ parents.”

“Oh, God—I feel a headache coming on.”

His family was still in the living room and he saw how perfect they looked without him there. He didn’t doubt that they loved and supported him, but they could be…critical. Especially his mother.  She was the pusher while his father tended to be the mellower of the two. His Dad was always there with a gentle smile or a pat on the back whenever she ripped him a new one.

“About time you two got down here,” Will said, amused. “We were about to send up the search party.”

Peeta looked over at Katniss and her face was grey. She looked like she was about ready to pass out.

“Before we get to dinner, we need to make an announcement,” he started.

“You two run off to Vegas and get married or something?” Cal joked.

Katniss shook her head. “No.” She turned to Peeta, her eyes filled with panic. “I can’t do this.”

“It’s kind of too late for that.”

“No, it’s not—I’ll just hold it in or something!”

“I really doubt that you’ll be saying that in six and a half months,” he reasoned with her.

“What is going on, Peeta?” The couple turned to see Anna in front of them, hands on her hips.

“I’m pregnant,” she said, clapping a hand over her mouth.

“It’s mine,” Peeta added.

“We figured.” Richard joined them and put an arm around his wife. “I think dinner is ready.”

“I’ll join you after I’m done throwing up.” Katniss rushed up the stairs noisily before the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut echoed through the house.

They all sat silently listening to her retching.

Will looked over at Peeta. “She’s going to be an interesting addition to the family.”

++++++

Katniss quietly walked down the stairs. She could hear the sounds of yelling coming from the dining room. Following the noise, she peeked around the wall to see Peeta sitting at the table, each parent sitting on one end.

“Are you sure this baby is yours?” Anna asked him.

“I’m sure.” He stared straight ahead, not meeting their eyes. She could see the tiredness on his face. It was as if he had heard the lecture a thousand times before and in that moment, Katniss understood his unhappiness about coming to see his family.

He just never felt good enough for them.

“How could you do this to us?” his mother asked. “To yourself? You have so much potential and you just waste it away—“

“I KNOW THAT!” Peeta turned to his mother. “You remind every time I come here—every time. I’m never enough.”

“Will you be enough for her? And to your child?” she responded.

Peeta thought for a moment before answering. “I don’t know if I ever will be. But I will try every day of my life to be.”

“Both of you need to calm down,” Richard’s voice echoed in the room. “Peeta, start from the beginning. We just need to understand the situation a little more.”

Katniss backed away from her hiding place and then turned to go into the living room.

“Psst!”

She looked to her right to see Will beckoning her. He pointed to the front door.

Nodding, Katniss walked over to it. Gently turning the knob, she slipped out onto the porch where Cal sat on the steps.

He turned when the door clicked closed.

“Hey,” he greeted. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Katniss sat down next to him. “What are you doing out here?”

“We’re hiding.” Will approached them from the corner of the house. “Slipped out from the back porch.” He handed Katniss a bottle of water as he sat next to her. “Keep hydrated. So, morning sickness isn’t really morning sickness, is it?”

“No—it’s more like ‘whenever the baby wants me to suffer’ sickness.”

“We’re going to be uncles,” Cal said thoughtfully. “Man, I feel old.”

“Tell me about it! You know Mom is going to be nagging us to get married or something now,” Will replied.

“So this shanghai is not just Peeta-related?” she asked.

“Oh no, sweetheart,” Will laughed. “Peeta is probably the strongest out of all of us.”

“He always did his own thing,” Cal added. “Despite the nagging while we’re all hiding balls high.” He looked over at her. “Are you excited?”

“Scared shitless, actually,” she replied and took a deep breath. “But Peeta helps—just by being there.”

“Who’s this?” She looked up to see a scraggly bearded man staring down at her.

“Peeta’s baby mama,” Cal joked and she glared at him. “Whoa, sorry—the mother of his child.”

She stood up and offered her hand. “Katniss Everdeen.”

He looked into her eyes for a moment before shaking it.

“Haymitch Abernathy, Peeta’s godfather.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a flask. Opening it, he took a swig and then replaced the cap before returning it to his pocket. “Let’s get in there and do some damage control.”

++++++

“What’s going on here?”

Peeta looked up to see his godfather standing at the open doorway and he breathed a sigh of relief. Haymitch always knew how to calm his Mom down.

Behind him stood Katniss and his brothers, and Katniss met his eyes.

She mouthed, ‘You okay?’ and he nodded calmly.

“Haymitch, talk some sense into him,” his mother said. “I suppose they told you the predicament your godson has gotten himself into.”

She looked over at Cal and Will.

The two men seem to shrink in her presence.

“No, I caught this pretty little thing trying to escape.”

Haymitch nodded his head towards Katniss. She crossed her arms and glowered at him. He chuckled, then looked over at Peeta. “I suppose she belongs to you?”

“Only if she wants,” Peeta said as he looked over at her.

She didn’t think twice when she joined his side, taking his hand in hers.

“But Haymitch—“

“Anna, what’s done is done,” the man told her.  “Now, can we sit down and eat?”

“He’s right,” Richard said firmly as he pulled out a chair for Katniss. “It’s settled. Katniss looks like she’s about to keel over, so we’d better get some food in her.”

She sat down and looked up at Peeta’s father. “You knew, didn’t you?”

“Not many women look like they want to throw up when they meet me,” he responded with a charming grin.

++++++

“That was fun,” she remarked as they quickly drove away from the Mellark home.

“Yes, we should definitely have more of those family dinners,” Peeta said wearily. He looked over at her. “How are you feeling?”

“Well, other than your mother wanting a paternity test and your brothers stealing the latest sonogram photos from me—I’ll survive.  What about you?”

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” he replied. “I didn’t tell them the truth about how we met, but I did tell Haymitch. He got a good laugh out of it. He likes you—thinks there’s a lot of fire in you.”

“Is that a good thing?”

He reached for her hand. “He thinks we’re a good balance. Haymitch partied in the Haight back in the seventies; he’s all about the natural elements, yin and yang and stuff like that.”

“I suppose he thinks you’re like water,” she scoffed and Peeta nodded. “When you want, you can bring the heat.” He shrugged off-handedly. “I mean it; I heard you in the dining room with your parents—you can hold your own when you want to. I was proud of you.”

He was silent for a moment before speaking again.

“Katniss, do you think that one day I’ll be good enough for you?”

“Pull over.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

Peeta pulled over onto the shoulder of the dirt road. It was a familiar lookout point that he would often visit when he was younger, mostly to get away from his family.

He turned to her after he parked. “What?”

“If I wasn’t carrying our child and you said that to me—I would smack the shit out of you,” she said before taking a deep breath and blowing it out. “But I’m going to stay calm because all of this stress is probably not helping us.”

Katniss looked at him, her eyes glittering despite the darkness around them. “I meant it when I said I was all in—and not just as parents, but us together—as a couple.” She turned to him and tucked her feet under her bottom. “All you have to do is try—that will always be enough for me.”

“If you’re not careful, I might fall in love with you,” Peeta told her.

She leaned forward so their lips could meet and his hand traveled to her shoulder. The simple feel of the pad of his thumb moving up and down her shoulder caused a fire to spread throughout her insides.

Peeta worried that he wasn’t good enough for her—or strong enough.

The truth of the matter was that he could easily break her if he wanted to.

Not that she would _ever_ tell him that.

 

Instead, Katniss pulled away and gave him a teasing grin.

 “I think you might be getting there.”

* * *

 

So pregnancy sex is safe most of the time… but be sure to consult your doctor, since I’m not one.

In very rare cases, blowing in the vagina during oral sex can result in an air embolism that can be fatal to both mother and baby.

Do you like the Mellarks? I think they have an interesting dynamic.

On a side note, Russian River is around Sonoma County and there are camp sites there, as well as lodges.

I intended for you to also meet the Everdeens in this chapter, but I just felt like they would need more time devoted to them, too.

Their visit will require another road trip.

Haymitch finally showed up—yay! It was a small meeting, but he does have other appearances in upcoming parts.

Some readers worried that I would make Peeta more like Seth Rogan’s character—a little bit of a man child. Yes, there are aspects of that in the story, but I think there are other motives for his nature. Katniss herself is slightly Type A, so let’s see how she deals with her own feelings about motherhood and Peeta.

Thank you for all your comments and reviews—they mean a lot.

Please feel free to stop by my Tumblr just to say hello. The link is on my profile page!

Next: Eleven and a half weeks — we tell the other parents. And Gale’s parents…and Johanna’s parents.

Until then,

JLaLa


	4. Part Four: Eleven and a Half Weeks

Thank you for all your reviews, likes, follows and messages! Your support means everything to me!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to my beta, Chelzie, who fixes my mistakes and makes my gibberish sparkle.

One

By JLaLa

Part Four: Eleven and a Half Weeks

Peeta awoke to her mouth traveling up his neck to behind his ear.

She knew this was one of his spots.

When Katniss bit his lobe, he groaned, opening his eyes to meet her smoldering, smoky ones. She pulled away and sat back on her feet, giving him a smile.

“Good morning.”

“What a way to wake someone up,” Peeta said as he sat up in her bed.  Then he remembered what today was. He placed his head in his hands. “Oh, God—that’s _today_ …”

“I know.” Katniss crawled over to him and gently moved his hands away from his face. She kissed his neck and Peeta sighed against her ear, causing her to tense.

Looking into his eyes, Katniss moved a leg over his lap and lifted his chin.

“So we might as well start the day right.”

Today was one of those good mornings—the days where Katniss didn’t have morning sickness and she woke up feeling… needy. As she reached the end of her first trimester, the nausea had faded but was now replaced by random spikes in her hormones.

Some were good—like right now.

And some of them were not so good – like when she screamed at Gale the night before just because he suggested that they come along today. She responded that she could fight her own battles and then left the dinner table muttering about being treated like a little girl.

At the moment, however, as she yanked off his boxers—Katniss was no little girl. Her long black t-shirt, which she had stolen from his dresser last weekend, was thrown to the floor leaving her completely nude.

She was even more beautiful with the slight bump that was their child. His hand went to her belly and she placed her hand over his, a feeling of ease taking over as they stared at one another.

It was perfect. It was scary.

He didn’t want to blurt out anything that they both might regret, so instead he grinned up at her and said the first thing that came to his mind.

“No underwear?”

The spell was broken. They both knew it.

Katniss shrugged. “I got hot during the night.”

As he ran his hands slowly up her thighs, she hissed at his touch before sinking down onto him. Peeta tried not to think about how perfect she felt sheathed around his aching length. They began to move unhurriedly, savoring the feel of each other’s bodies.

His arms wrapped around her waist as he pressed her close to him, wanting to feel her heartbeat against his chest.

“So good,” Katniss whispered as she twisted her hips, causing a groan to escape his lips. “Kiss me.”

His mouth went to hers eagerly—each of their kisses growing steadily more powerful as their pace began to quicken.

It always amazed him at how much her simple touch could cause his heart to beat faster. Or how her smile could cause him to want to say things to her that he thought he’d never say—not at this point anyway.

Things were so tenuous between them—and there were more important things to deal with right now.

He pulled away and moved his mouth against her ear. “Katniss…”

The way he said her name caused her to stop in place. Peeta’s eyes went to hers and she reached a hand up to caress his jaw. His lips found her thumb and he kissed the pad of it tenderly.

Katniss felt her mouth go dry and her stomach twist—not because of the baby, but because of the way a simple brush of his lips against her thumb made her whole world brighten.

“KATNISS!” 

They stopped as they heard the front door slam.

It was Prim.

She clamped her hand over Peeta’s mouth and turned to the closed door.

“DON’T YOU DARE COME IN HERE!”

Prim knocked on the door. “What’s going on—“

Katniss began to move again and she watched Peeta’s eyes roll back in pleasure.

“I’LL BE OUT IN A MINUTE, OKAY?” Peeta’s hands went to her waist, raising her hips up and then pushing her back down onto him. “OHH, maybe less than that!”

She looked into his eyes and grinned. “I guess we’d better get a move on.” Her hand remained firm against his mouth as she rolled her hips—something Katniss knew would cause him to come undone.

She bit his earlobe once more. “Now come for me, Peeta.”

Peeta howled into her hand as he filled her and she watched the way his body tensed as he pushed up into her core.

There was something really hot about seeing him fall apart inside her.

She didn’t realize that she was still moving around him until his hands reached to tease her nipples and her own orgasm hit—her insides clamping in a tight pleasure. “PEETA!”

Katniss dropped her head against his shoulder.

He gasped for breath, his lips pressing against her sweaty hair. “You okay there?”

“Do we have to go?” she asked into his skin.

“Yes.”

She pushed off of him and he reached down to pick her shirt off the floor. Handing it to her, Katniss threw it on as she stepped off their bed.

Walking to the door, she peeked outside and then yelped at the sight of her sister grinning at her.

“PRIM! What are you still doing here?”

“Johanna said that I couldn’t come back into the house until you were dressed and ready because we need to leave in an hour! I didn’t know that I was going to be interrupting—nearly gave Rory here a heart attack!”

Katniss looked over at the boy sitting on the couch, looking at the carpet and then glared at Prim, who stuck her tongue out at her older sister.

“We’ll be there in twenty minutes, okay?” Katniss said before closing the door and turning to him. “There goes our relaxing morning.”

Today they were telling her parents.

++++++

“Does she do that a lot?” Prim asked from the driver’s seat as they went down the highway.

She had volunteered to drive, since between her and Katniss’ cars, Prim’s Prius was the roomier of the two. Rory sat in the passenger’s seat looking through Prim’s iPod.

Gale and Johanna followed behind them in their minivan.

Peeta looked down at Katniss, whose head was resting on his shoulder as she slept and smiled. “It’s getting a little more frequent—growing a baby takes a lot out of you, I guess.” He adjusted himself so that her head was a little more on his shoulder.

He looked up to see Prim watching them from the rearview mirror.

“Should I call you ‘big brother’?” she joked.

“Just Peeta,” he said to her. “Your sister decided last week that I was her boyfriend.”

“So it’s getting serious?”

“Yup.” He laughed softly. “I’m thinking of asking her to go steady.”

“Do you have anything on here that’s not by Lady Gaga?” Rory asked.

“Deal with it,” Prim replied. “I have some Bone Thugs if that’s more to your liking.”

“You have anything classical on there?” Peeta asked and then looked down at the snoozing Katniss. “I read somewhere that it helps the baby during development.”

“Really?” Rory turned to look at him. “This soon?”

“We’re almost to the tail end of the first trimester,” he responded. “The baby can yawn now and suck or swallow. It’s probably moving, too.”

“Sounds like you’ve been reading up,” Prim said, approval evident in her voice. She turned to Rory. “I think I have some Mozart on there.”

Rory grinned at her. “Mozart?”

“It came with the iPod—will you just fucking put it on?”

“So what else is happening?” Prim asked Peeta.

“The baby has skin, maybe some hair and fingernails.”

“Cool, though I’m a little frightened by the fingernails aspect,” she replied and then grinned as she looked at him through the rearview mirror again. “You shaved for the grown-ups.”

He touched his bare jaw and blushed. “I thought it might help.”

“Dad sported a pretty good beard in his day so he might have approved, though you’re going to be making a big announcement,” Prim said.

She watched as Peeta pulled her sister closer and put an arm around her shoulder. “Whatever happens, I’ll take care of them. You know that, right?”

Prim glanced at him once more and took a deep breath before responding.

“I know, but if you don’t—there’ll be hell to pay. Mom invited your parents.” She looked at Rory. “And the Masons.”

They took the exit off the highway and Rory turned to him. “Welcome to hell.”

++++++

It was one of those small towns where everyone knew everyone.

He could tell.

Peeta looked out the window at what was the main street of the city. It was lined with small shops and as they drove further down, he saw what looked like the municipal part of the city. The large white building was clearly City Hall, which was then followed by the police and fire stations.

How very Pleasantville.

“Almost there,” Prim announced. “You might want to wake her up so she can freshen up and not look like she spent the morning being thoroughly shagged.”

“Hey,” Katniss mumbled as she began to wake. “I was the one doing the shagging.”

His lips moved closer to her face and Peeta planted a small kiss behind her ear before greeting her, “How are you feeling?”

Katniss met his eyes and gave him a closed-lip smile.

“Tired, hungry, and horny,” she replied quietly as a small laugh escaped his mouth. “Do I look okay?”

“You look beautiful.” She was wearing an oversized cream sweater and a burgundy pencil skirt along with a pair of black tights and ankle boots. Katniss sat up slowly to smooth down the top of her dark hair and to fix the braid that she wore.

He had opted for a simple navy blue sweater with a collared shirt underneath and a pair of khakis. Finnick had let him borrow the sweater and shirt, knowing that he was off to meet the parents.  

Peeta was surprised when his roommate had presented him with beat-up looking paper bag containing the designer clothes.

He had noticed the other subtle changes in all of his friends.

Annie had been a little more sober the last time he saw her. Cato had started buying fruit that they couldn’t smoke from.

Thresh had driven him to the bank to get an actual checking account—the amount he deposited was pathetic, but at least it was something.

It was all because of her.

“Here we are,” Prim announced.

Peeta looked up to see a large, cream-colored house with a red door and windows with shutters. Prim turned into the long driveway next to it, beeping her horn to let their parents know that they had arrived.

He turned to Katniss. “What did you tell them about me?”

“That you’re my boyfriend,” she said simply. “That’s a _big_ deal. There was a moment while I was in college where Mom thought I was into girls – she kept on leaving all these books about coping with ‘sexual confusion’ on my desk every time I would come home.”

Katniss placed a hand on her stomach. “I’ve got her ‘sexual confusion’ right here.”

“We _lived_ in a small town, Peeta,” Rory informed him. “Why do you think we all moved the hell out of here? It’s a settling kind of town.”

“What?”

“This is where you live when you’re done doing all the fun crap and just want to join book clubs,” Prim responded and her eyes widened as front door opened. “Oh, God—here comes Mom.”

Stepping out of the car to help Katniss out, Peeta watched the woman who was hugging Prim excitedly. She was bouncing happily, her blown out hair moving with her.

He took Katniss’ hand and entwined it in his. She met his eyes and pulled him towards her mother.

“Hey, Mom,” Katniss greeted.

The woman pulled away from Prim and Peeta got his first real look at her.

She had the same smile as Prim with shoulder-length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. There was a softness about her that he found his own mother lacked in comparison.

“Katniss!” She pulled her daughter into her arms and as she did, Katniss gripped his hand, practically pulling him with her.

When she was done, the woman turned to him with a bright grin. “And who is this?”

“This is Peeta Mellark—my boyfriend.” She pushed him forward.

“It’s so great to finally meet you!” He tried not to laugh when Katniss rolled her eyes. The woman pulled him in for a gentle hug and then pulled away. “Peeta, I’m Laurel.” She hooked her arm into his as they made their trek towards the house. “Tell me, how long have you and Katniss been dating?”

He looked over at Katniss, who followed behind them. She shrugged, letting him know to make something up.

“Six months,” he informed her as they walked into the house. The same lie that he had told his parents.

Best to keep the lies consistent.

++++++

When he entered the house, Peeta looked up to see an older dark-haired man walking quickly down the staircase towards them.

“Dad!” Katniss rushed into his arms. It was clear to him that she was a Daddy’s girl.

If they had a girl, would she be the same way? The sobering thought of the baby brought him back to reality.

“My girl,” he said in response as he held Katniss. Finally pulling away, he turned towards Peeta and gave him a gentle smile. “So this must be the person who has your mother so excited—I could hear her from upstairs.”

“I wasn’t that loud,” Laurel responded with a pout. Her husband took her hand and she extracted herself from Peeta’s side to wrap an arm around his waist affectionately.

Katniss went to him and took his hand. “This is Peeta Mellark, my boyfriend.”

“Hello, Peeta.” The man offered his hand. “I’m Gabe Everdeen, patriarch and prisoner of the household.” Peeta grinned as the man tried to keep himself from laughing, but failed miserably when Laurel smacked his arm.

“Nice to finally meet you,” he responded and shook Gabe’s hand.

“Where did Prim go?” Katniss asked suddenly.

“I shooed her away to the Hawthornes so that we can spend a little more time with you and Peeta,” Laurel informed her daughter. “Come into the living room.”

From the foyer, they walked through an archway into a cream-colored living room with pale yellow furniture. It was classically designed—very different from his home, and made for a family with its plushness.

Across from them and next to the back patio door was a black baby grand piano.

“Who plays?” He went to it and touched the smooth keys.

Laurel laughed. “Katniss, of course! She played until she graduated high school.”

He felt his face turn scarlet. His eyes went to Gabe, who was suddenly peering at him quizzically. How could he not when it seemed like he didn’t know something as significant as the fact that Katniss played the piano?

“I don’t have a piano in my apartment,” Katniss informed them as she went to him. “So why would the topic come up anyway?” She sat on the piano bench and looked up at him. “Sit.”

Peeta listened dutifully, settling next to her on the bench.

Katniss began to play and he immediately recognized the Mozart tune that was playing in the car.

“I know all, I see all, I hear all,” she murmured quietly to him as she played and then looked into his eyes. “You read the baby book.”

It had taken a whole day and some note taking, but he had managed to do it. “I did.”

Her eyes filled and her mouth turned up into a soft smile before her eyes went back to the keys.

“My Dad began teaching me how to play when I turned six,” she said as Peeta watched her move her fingers gracefully.

He was mesmerized and leaning closer, his lips went to her ear, “You’re amazing.”

Katniss turned to him, her eyes suddenly darker. “Do you want to see my room later?”

“You two are adorable.”

The playing stopped and they looked up to see Johanna standing at the archway.

“Aren’t they?” Laurel replied with a smile.

Gabe seemed to look a little more at ease, too.

Peeta breathed a sigh of relief. They had managed to not mess it all up yet.

Laurel went to hug Johanna. “Where are your parents?”

“They’re coming,” she replied after she hugged Gabe. “They’re still at their house spoiling Jenna with a brand new wardrobe.” Johanna sat on the couch. “So what have you been talking about?”

“I was just telling Peeta how I played the piano,” Katniss said and narrowed her eyes at her friend.

“Did you tell him that you were valedictorian, too?”

Peeta looked over at her proudly, “That’s something, sweetheart.”

And for the millionth time, he wondered how he ever ended up with someone like her.

“It’s nothing—“ Katniss looked over at Johanna, who was talking to her parents. They were looking over Jenna’s latest photos and cooing. She turned to him again. “Did you want to take the house tour?”

He quirked a brow at her and she looked down, trying to hide her blush. “How long will the tour be?”

She looked over at Johanna. “Maybe twenty minutes?”

“So I heard that you were thinking about going to London next year with my parents?” Johanna said loudly. Her eyes briefly met Peeta’s and she winked.

“Make it twenty-five,” Katniss said and stood up. “Come on.” Pulling him up, she opened the patio door and pushed him outside.

++++++

“Where are we going?”

“Just trust me,” she replied and took his hand to lead him out of the patio and towards the standalone garage at the end of their driveway. Making a sharp turn towards the house, she opened a door and they were in the kitchen.

The kitchen was large, with an island adjacent to the entrance. Pots hung over the stove and a large fridge was planted by them.

“This is where the back entrance to the upstairs is,” she told him and they walked up quietly together. “Prim and I used to sneak out of the house this way.” The stairway narrowed and they found themselves shoulder to shoulder.

“After you,” he said quietly. She gave him a smile before moving a step up.

Peeta followed her up, admiring how well the burgundy skirt hugged her curves.

They reached the top and he noticed that they were in a carpeted hallway. “Let’s start the tour.”

He looked over at her. “You were serious?”

“Of course,” she said with a nod. Katniss pointed to the door at the end of the hall with the long doorknob. “My parents’ room is here, and the door to the right is my Dad’s office.”

“What does he do?”

“He owns a small sporting goods store.” They walked down the hall and he spotted an elementary school picture of Katniss hanging on the wall— her hair in braids and wearing a flowered red dress. She was pretty even then.  “I worked there after school.”

“I bet you got a lot of guys to buy things from you.”

“Not really – especially once they knew what I specialized in.”

“Do you hunt, too?”

“Actually, I can shoot,” she told him as she opened a door to a room full of scattered clothes and pale pink furniture. “Prim’s room—she’s a hot mess.”

“So you shoot?”

“Arrows.” She went to the door opposite of Prim’s and leaned against it. “My room.” She turned the knob and pushed the door open. “After you.”

He walked in quickly then looked over at her. “Yellow?”

“I was into it when I was a kid,” she replied as she closed the door behind her. He heard the click of the door being locked. “I wanted something a little more brassy—but my mom insisted on a softer yellow. I agreed only because of the name.” She walked past him and sat on her white framed bed with soft grey sheets.

Katniss looked over at him, her eyes suddenly nervous. “Sit.”

He went to her and sat, their shoulders just barely touching though he could feel the current of heat between them.

His eyes went to hers and he felt his throat go dry. “So what was the name of the yellow?”

Katniss placed a hand over his before answering, “Dandelion.” She laughed softly. “Kind of dorky, I know.”

Her eyes went over to the window above the headboard of her bed. The sun was just beginning to set and the light hit the room turning the soft yellow into orange.

She looked over at him. “I’ve never been alone with a boy in my room until now.”

“Not even Gale?”

“I don’t count Gale as a boy.”

“How do you suppose he got Johanna pregnant then?”

“She could’ve done it herself,” she told him with a grin. “Johanna is that powerful.” They shared a quick laugh. “Anyway, he’s been in here but it was always with Johanna. I never noticed that when they left they were sneaking into her house, though. I was very naïve.”

Katniss laid back against the mattress and he followed after a second. Looking over, Peeta could see her chest rising and falling rapidly and her hands shaking before they settled on the little bump. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared of _this_ ,” she told him as she caressed her stomach and he could see the tears beginning to form. “Are we going to be okay?”

He pushed himself up on his side and turned to her. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly.  His lips went to her forehead as his thumb wiped the tear that ran down her temple. “But I’ll be here with you—whatever happens.”

Katniss nodded, inhaling shakily as she did. “And I’m scared to tell them; is it too late back out?”

He could hear the sounds of conversation downstairs. “It’s up to you, but we did come here with a purpose and they’re your family—you can’t avoid them. And they love you and they would be really hurt if you--”

She glared at him. “Don’t guilt trip me, Peeta—my Dad does the same thing!” Her eyes widened and Katniss grinned. “When did you become such a Dad?”

He laughed softly. “The same time you became a Mom.”

“And when was that?”

“When you started getting scared of _this_ ,” he told her and placed his hand over the one touching her abdomen. “You care, Katniss, but don’t worry—you’re going to be a great mother.”

Her hand reached up and she ran a thumb over his lips. “Don’t make me say something I might regret.”

Peeta pressed his forehead against hers, looking into her slate eyes until he began to feel breathless.

“Me, too.”

++++++

“You ready?” she asked him as they stood by the stairs.

“It’s just a few more people,” Peeta reassured her as they began to walk down the stairs.

He could hear the loud chatter and laughter as everyone greeted each other. It was reassuring—they all sounded happy.

However, when they reached the bottom of the stairs and came into view—the noisy conversation ceased.

Her lips went to his ear. “Still okay?”

“Just keep walking.”

He couldn’t feel his face right now.

Peeta could tell who the Hawthornes were right away. Mrs. Hawthorne had dark, curly hair and her eyes were the same shape as Rory’s. She looked remarkably young for someone with two grown sons. Mr. Hawthorne had a buzzcut and Peeta could see that Gale had gotten his height from him—as well as his hard stare.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne looked like they were brother and sister due the olive skin that they both shared.

Johanna’s parents were a different story.

Mrs. Mason was an Amazonian of a woman with maroon hair and piercing, almond shaped eyes, while Mr. Mason was a wisp of a man with a blond comb-over, glasses and a thick mustache. They were dressed elegantly for a casual, family dinner.

“It’s about time you got down here,” Mrs. Mason said as she tried not to smile. “We thought you might have run off when you heard us coming.”

“Of course not,” Katniss replied and she let go of his hand momentarily to go the woman.

Johanna went to Peeta and smiled. “Enjoy the house tour?”

“It was – informative.”

She laughed. “Taught Katniss everything I know,” she said and leaned closely to him. “How do you think I got Gale to come over to my house so often?”

Peeta looked over at Gale, who was holding Jenna as he talked to his parents. “So he must know everything about your house?”

“He doesn’t even know where the bathroom is,” Johanna replied. “But ask him which drawer my teal bra is in—“

“—Peeta?” He turned to see Katniss with Johanna’s parents. “This is Angelica and Luke, Johanna’s parents.”

He hoped his face wasn’t as red as he thought it was.

“Dear boy, you look like you have a fever,” Angelica said with a teasing grin. “We don’t scare you that much, do we?”

“No, ma’am,” Peeta replied as he shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand to Mr. Mason. “It’s nice to meet you as well, sir.”

“Of course, son,” Luke said in a soft voice. “We’re all excited to meet you. Katniss has never brought a boy home, so you must be a good one.”

Oh God, they were all going to kill him.

“Peeta—“ He looked over to see Gale approaching. Jenna struggled out of his arms and he placed her on the floor so that she could go to Peeta’s side. “These are my parents—Hazelle and Jacob.”

Gale turned to his parents. “Now you can stop grilling me about whether or not he’s a psycho.”

Hazelle scowled at her son. “We didn’t say anything like that!” She turned to Peeta with a gracious smile. “Nice to meet you, sweetie.” She gave him a hug. “It’s just that we’ve known Katniss since she was a baby and now she’s bringing a boy to come see us—“

Jacob shook his hand as he looked him up and down. “Don’t mind her, she and the other moms have been in a tizzy about Katniss and this new boyfriend of hers.”

“Why is this such a big deal?” Katniss asked suddenly as she joined him.

“They all thought that you would die a dried-up virgin.” He turned to see a young girl with shoulder length jet-black hair, a striped shirt, and ripped skinny jeans standing before them.

She looked at Peeta briefly, a small blush hitting her cheeks and turned to Katniss. “Not to mention, your Mom thought that you were a lesbian when you were in college.”

“This is our very sweet daughter, Posy,” Jacob said as the girl rolled her eyes. “Our other boy, Vick, is on a date but you’ll meet him eventually.”

Peeta smiled at her and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

She shook it once, chewing on her gum as she responded, “Pleasure.”

“I never thought that!” Laurel protested, her cheeks red. “But she wasn’t dating in high school, and then no one during college…”

“We get it,” Katniss said. “Now can we please just go have dinner?”

“You heard her!” Prim suddenly shouted. “INTO THE DINING ROOM!”

Between Prim and Johanna, they managed to herd everyone out of the entryway until there was no one but Katniss and Peeta along with Jenna, who he scooped up into his arms.

“Are you still okay?” Katniss asked. “It’s not too late to run.”

He turned to Jenna. “What do you think?”

Jenna turned to Katniss. “Don’t be a scaredy-cat.”

“Yeah, don’t be a scaredy-cat,” Peeta mimicked and then put an around her as they walked to the dining room.

She looked over at Jenna and him with a small smile. “I’m screwed if we have a girl.”

++++++

“So how did you two meet?”

The question had come up as dessert was being served—a white cake with strawberries.

They had managed to avoid anything pertaining to their relationship due to Katniss always having food in her mouth and Johanna or Prim running interference for them.

He had to remember to thank them later.

Peeta turned to Katniss who was on his left. “Did you want to tell them?”

“I met him at a club,” she told everyone. “He was bartending there; I picked him up.”

Prim almost choked on her drink.

Rory, who sitting next to her, patted her back.

“So you’re a bartender,” Gabe said, leaning his elbows on the table as he looked at him. “Interesting.”

He could feel himself sinking into his seat.

“Can you make an old-fashioned?” Luke asked from where he sat across from Peeta.

“Yes, my Dad likes them,” he replied and the man nodded in approval.

“And what do your parents do?” That question came from Jacob.

“My Dad is an architect, and my Mom is an art restorer.”

“What is his name?” Angelica asked. “I’ve worked with a few architects since I’m in interior design.”

“It’s Richard Mellark,” he told her.

She dropped her fork, the clank echoing in the room. “Your father is Richard Mellark? Well, I’ll be damned—I love his work and he works with that great wood craftsman—Haymitch Abernathy.”

“Haymitch is my Godfather.”

He felt Katniss take his hand under the table.

While Peeta appreciated his Dad’s talent, he had spent a majority of his life living in the shadow of his last name.

It seemed like history was about to repeat itself as he tried to make a good impression with Katniss’ family.

“Did everyone get cake?” Laurel asked.

Everyone nodded an affirmative.

“NO!” It was Jenna who she sat on Peeta’s right. “The baby didn’t.”

The room went silent.

It was happening again—he couldn’t feel his face.

“There isn’t a baby here,” Johanna told her daughter slowly from across the table. Then she looked over at Gale nervously. “Right?”

Gale wiped his mouth quickly. “YES! Uh—Jenna? It’s not nice to make up stories.”

“I’m NOT!” she protested and glared at her dad. “You said there is a baby in Katniss and that’s why she can’t carry me like she used to!”

“Shit.” It was Prim from somewhere across the table.

“You’re pregnant?” Laurel looked over at Katniss from where she stood.

She took a deep breath before answering, “Yes.”

“How could you let her get pregnant?” Angelica asked her daughter.

“Yes, Mom,” Johanna responded with a glare. “I physically stood there and LET him impregnate her. I even drew a DIAGRAM!”

“How could you let her get pregnant?” Hazelle asked and smacked the back of Gale’s head. “She’s like your sister!”

“I didn’t know he was sleeping over until I saw him coming out of our pool house!”

This time, Johanna smacked him on the back of his head.

Laurel sat in her chair and then looked over at them calmly. “Okay. So when are you getting married?”

Katniss snorted loudly. “Married? You’re joking, right?”

Peeta responded, “When she’s ready.”

Did he just say that?

She looked over at him incredulously. “You want to get married?”

“Of course, he does,” Laurel said to her. “It’s what right.” She looked over at Gabe. “Tell her.”

“Dad?” Katniss met her father’s eyes. He had remained emotionless throughout the whole announcement.

Peeta watched him stare at Katniss for a moment.

Then pushing his chair out, he stood up and walked out of the room.

++++++

“Can we come in?”

They looked up to see Gale and Johanna at her doorway.

After Gabe walked off, Laurel promptly sent Katniss and Peeta to her room until she could talk some sense into her husband.

Katniss nodded at the couple as she hugged her pillow.

They had spent twenty minutes in silence, with her clinging to that pillow and Peeta’s arm around her shoulder.

“We’re sorry about Jenna,” Johanna said as she sat on the corner of the bed. “I guess we weren’t clear with her about what she could and couldn’t share.”

“Our parents aren’t as mad as we thought,” Gale told them and met Peeta’s eyes sympathetically. “They’re worried, but they aren’t mad. I think maybe you should just sit down with yours and talk it out.”

“Thanks,” Peeta replied.

Katniss remained silent.

They both stood up and Johanna called him outside.

After making sure Katniss was okay, he went into the hallway and closed the door behind him.

“This is bad,” Johanna said. “Katniss’ Dad is the calmest out of all our fathers and he won’t even speak to her.”

“This is just like the time that she cracked the windshield of his Convertible,” Gale said. “He wouldn’t speak for weeks.”

“I think this is a little different than a broken windshield,” Johanna said before turning back to Peeta. “Anyway, just be prepared for when it comes out between those two.”

“Okay, thanks—wish me luck.” He headed towards the Gabe’s office.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Gale rushed up to him. “You’re going to get killed.”

“I promised myself that I would protect her,” Peeta said.

Gale’s eyes went over to Johanna, who stood by the stairs with her arms crossed.

Peeta followed his gaze and then looked at him again. “Don’t tell me that you wouldn’t do the same.”

++++++

“Come in.”

Peeta opened the door quietly and entered the office where he found Katniss’ father sitting behind his desk.

He looked up when he heard the door click closed. “Oh, it’s you.” The friendly light in his eyes had gone out, now replaced with a cold stare.

“I guess you were expecting Katniss,” Peeta replied.

“Or my wife—ready for round two.”

Peeta looked around the office. The walls to the sides were built-in bookshelves while the only window in the room was behind Gabe’s desk.

“So you know how to make an old-fashioned?” Gabe gestured to the corner where a beverage cart stood. “Why don’t you make me one before explaining how you haven’t ruined my daughter’s life?”

Peeta could feel the sting of his words from across the room.

Taking a calming breath, he walked to the cart and grabbed a thick-bottomed glass. “Bourbon or rye?”

“Bourbon—so you realize that my daughter will never be able to attend Johns Hopkins because of you?”

Peeta reached for a sugar cube in the small container next to the ice and placed it inside the cup. He found the Angostura bottle easily and saturated the cube before taking some water from a carafe and adding it into the cup.

“Your daughter will go to Johns Hopkins because she deserves it,” he replied as he waited for the cube to dissolve. “Nothing will stop her.”

“And are you going with her? What about the baby?”

Peeta open the ice bucket and filled the scooper. After dropping the ice in, he found the bourbon and added it into the drink.

Taking the glass, he went to Gabe and set it in front of him before sitting in the seat across from the man.

“I go where they go,” Peeta replied.

He never thought that those words would come out of his mouth so easily.

“So you would uproot your life,” her father began. “Just to make sure that she got what she wanted—and why would you do that?”

Peeta didn’t hesitate to answer, “Because you do those things for someone you love.”

Gabe took a long sip from the glass before replying, “You’re not good enough for her—not by a long shot.”

The door burst open and Katniss marched in, her eyes hard. “I think we’re ready to leave.”

Laurel walked in behind her, and it was clear that they had been listening through the door.

Peeta stood up and she went to his side.

Taking his hand, Katniss turned to her father.

“I chose to be with him and since then, Peeta has done nothing but care for me,” she said, her voice firm. “And I know that this wasn’t the way you planned—or even the way I planned for my life to go, but don’t you dare blame him as if he’s the one who ruined your big plans for me! I made the choice to keep this baby and I made the choice to be with him.”

She cleared her throat, but the rest of her words were choked, “We’re going to be okay – with or without you in our lives.”

“Katniss, sweetie—“ Laurel went to them.

“—Prim is waiting for us,” she informed her mother. “We should get going.” Katniss hugged her mother as her other hand clung to Peeta’s. “Bye, Mom—love you.”

Laurel pulled away and her eyes were wet. “Love you too, baby.”

She looked to Peeta, her eyes pleading with him. “Take care of our girl.”

He nodded before being pulled out the door.

++++++

“How did it go?” Cato asked when they entered the house.

Prim had dropped them off because they both couldn’t deal with Johanna and Gale grilling them about what happened.

Annie and Finnick looked up from where they sat on the floor with a bag of candy in front of them and Thresh paused the game he was playing to look over at them.

Peeta couldn’t respond and Katniss simply put her head on his shoulder.

“That bad?” Thresh asked.

Annie stood up and went to them, offering the bag.

Katniss managed to give her a watery smile before taking a Tootsie Pop and walking quickly down the hallway to his room.

Annie held out the bag for him. He took out another Tootsie Pop.

“Thanks,” he replied listlessly before going to his room.

Peeta found her sitting on his bed, crying into her hands.  

He had never felt so helpless in all his life.

Closing the door behind him, Peeta rushed over and kneeled in front of her. “Tell me what to do.”

“Just hold me,” she responded through her tears. “And lie—even if you don’t think we’ll be okay.”

Peeta stood up. “Come lay down, babe.” Katniss tossed her shoes off before moving across the bed. He followed suit so that he could pull her into his arms. “We’re going to be okay and I’m not lying to you.”

“Everything you said—was it all true?” She put her hand on his chest and he sighed, enjoying the weight of her hand against his heart.

“Yes,” he said tightly.

Katniss snuggled closer and he could hear the exhaustion in her voice. “And do you really want to get married?”

“I want you in whatever way you’ll have me.”

“I always thought that when I got proposed to, it would be because the person was in love with me,” she said quietly. “And I know what you said—that you love me. But if it weren’t for the baby, would we even be here? Would your feelings be real?”

Peeta thought back to that moment when they first met, and how he had almost dropped the glass he was holding when her grey eyes met his.

He had memorized her movements as he talked to her that night: the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, her laugh, the way she used her hands when she was telling him a story and that brilliant smile that he constantly tried to get her to give him.

Unconsciously, his hand found its way to the single braid down her back and he gently tugged the tie off so that he could unravel it into waves.

Peeta watched those waves sway as she walked to the dance floor with Prim; he remembered how his heart sank each time she walked away because he feared that he would never see her again.

And then the realization hit and it hit hard – he had been in love with her all along, since that very first moment their eyes had met across the bar with a David Guetta song blaring in the background.

Katniss mumbled and he realized that she had fallen asleep.

It was for probably for the best.

He kissed her hair, smelling sunshine and remembering her smile as they laid in her dandelion room.

 

“It’s real.”

* * *

That ended pretty angsty—sorry. This story keeps drifting further from the actual “Knocked Up” story, but I’m liking this route.

As you can see, this is a hard part of the pregnancy for Katniss—she is especially hormonal and the combined stress of having her Dad react so badly has taken his toll on her emotions. She’s no longer the same in her father’s eyes, which is hard on her.

So when I imagine the Everdeen house and neighborhood, I imagine the house from _Father of the Bride_.

An old-fashioned is a cocktail beverage that uses whiskey along with Angostura bitters in it, the bottle for Angostura is known for its oversized label. It’s a basic drink and the glass used for it is called an old fashioned glass.

So there is a distinct difference between the Masons and the Hawthornes. The Masons, I imagine, weren’t expecting to have a child but ended up having Johanna. They’re old money. I imagined the Hawthornes as the high school sweethearts who got married right out of high school when they were eighteen and began popping them out.

So you’ve met the parents—and truthfully, I didn’t think I would write their reactions as I did.

Reviews, asks, and questions are always welcome through FF, AO3 or Tumblr! Give me some love!

Next: 15 weeks—appointments with Effie, the return of Haymitch, money issues and parenting lessons.

Until then,

JLaLa


	5. Part Five: Fifteen Weeks

Thank you for reviews and love towards this story. I love writing this in-between ‘Again’ and ‘Lazy’—it lets me inject a little romance and fluff into my writing.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie for being the most awesome beta!

One

Part Five: Fifteen Weeks

“Looks like you’re having a little trouble tying up those scrubs,” Cinna remarked as he and Katniss walked out of the changing room next to the nurses’ station.

Today, she was shadowing Cinna. He was an RN and let her follow him during rounds since the hospital wasn’t really a teaching one.  Cinna actually had a Master in Nursing, and as the head nurse, he was able to teach her simple medical procedures within his range.

“I don’t understand!” Katniss exclaimed as she tightened the drawstring before knotting it impatiently. “I usually fit into the small just fine!”

“Now don’t get upset,” he started as the two walked down the hallway. “But is it possible that maybe you can’t fit into those pants because of the little bun in your oven?”

“Come on,” she replied. “I haven’t gained that much weight!”

As Katniss entered her second trimester, her nausea had faded and her appetite had come back in full force.

Thank goodness Peeta could cook and bake, because she constantly craved apple fritters. Sometimes, she wanted chicken kebabs. Or funnel cake.

Her stomach growled; the baby was hungry again.

“You’ve probably gained like five to six pounds and it’s all in the uterus,” he responded and she glared at him. “Just keeping it real and it’s perfectly normal, boo. You’re having a baby.”

Gaining weight was not a big deal. It had said so in all the books that she read. This was normal, just like Cinna was telling her.

She was not that vain.

However, when the drawstring suddenly ripped, she fell apart.

++++++

Katniss looked at her stomach in the reflection of her vanity mirror. Her hand settled on the pooch that had formed.

“What are you doing?” She turned to see Peeta grinning at her as he leaned against the doorway. “Dinner’s ready.”

She frowned at him, her shoulders dropping. “I’m getting big, aren’t I?”

Peeta approached, wrapping his arms around her burgeoning waist when he reached her. She leaned back against his body and smiled at him through the reflection of the mirror.

“You are beautiful,” he whispered, his warm breath on her neck. “There’s this glow that you have.” Peeta nipped at her ear. “And you are incredibly sexy.”

Katniss groaned as the heat of his touch spread through her insides. “Liar.”

“Come lie down with me.” Peeta led her over to the bed and she crawled onto her side with him following in after. He stared at her for a moment and cupped her cheek. “What is this about?”

“I ripped the drawstring of my scrubs today,” she replied, pouting at him. “I know—no biggie, right? But I just started crying in the hallway. Poor Cinna had to lead me back into the changing room because I was scaring the patients and some of the nurses!” She could feel her eyes watering again and swiped at them quickly. “I mean—what the hell?”

“Come here.” Katniss shifted so she could lay her head against his chest. Peeta took her hand, resting it against his stomach. “Having a baby takes a lot out of you. I can’t really imagine how it feels, but I would probably be in the same boat as you,” he chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “You’re a lot stronger than I am and handling it better than I ever could.”

“Thank you for trying to make me feel better,” Katniss said after a moment. “I guess I can ask Johanna to help me find some clothes.”

“That’s my girl.” Peeta looked down at her and their lips met briefly. Pulling away he gazed over at her, his blue eyes sweeping her face. “I love you.”

She wouldn’t answer and he wouldn’t question her. It was just the way they were.

Instead, they settled in—each lost in their own thoughts.

There was a contentedness that Katniss felt whenever they were together and it was in those moments that she could really let her guard down. She was never an open person so it wasn’t a surprise that few people, including close family and friends, knew that she was even involved with anyone. It was an even bigger shock when she told everyone that she was pregnant.

But Peeta just loved her—he took everything she threw at him with an easy smile and was always there whenever she needed to be held or wanted a Kit-Kat.

His touch did something to her, too--it was a flutter that seemed to travel through her. It could be from the simplest thing, like the way he would run his hand up and down her arm, or even the way he would kiss her forehead.

Sometimes, Katniss wanted to tell him that she loved him. The words never seemed to come out and so she settled for giving him a smile or kiss.

He deserved so much more from her.

Looking up at him, Katniss felt her mouth forming out the words.

Then her stomach growled.

And the moment was over.

Peeta grinned down at her, “Let’s get that baby fed.”

++++++

Haymitch slid an envelope across the table to him. Peeta sighed, already knowing what it contained.

“From your parents,” his godfather informed him.

He took the envelope then tore it in half.

“I thought you would do that,” Haymitch said after a moment. “They mean well.”

Peeta took a sip from his mug and then placed it down on the table, “What they mean is that they don’t think that I can take care of Katniss and the baby.”

Haymitch looked around the small café and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table before responding, “Let’s be honest. Can you?”

“Seriously, I am trying,” Peeta told him. “I need to be there for her. The wine bar that I’ve been working at has upped my hours and I’ve been bartending on the weekends… that gives me enough time to be home for dinner.”

He couldn’t hide the fatigue in his voice. 

“She’s really gotten to you.” Haymitch could always read him like a book. “I know you are both trying to keep this as just a partner thing, but it can’t be that way forever.”

“I know.”

“Not to mention, you love the girl.”

Peeta looked up at his godfather, his face warm. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to the whole world.” Haymitch took a bite of the croissant in front of him. “And how about her?”

“I think that sometimes… she might feel the same way,” he replied.

Peeta could see it in her eyes and the words always seemed to be at the tip of her tongue. He also knew that he couldn’t rush her.

Katniss had already been through enough these last few weeks. She and her dad still weren’t speaking. He had spoken to Laurel, giving her some snippets of Katniss’ progress as she moved into her second trimester.  They had gotten closer during the conversations.

He hadn’t told Katniss that he was talking to her mother, however. There would be hell to pay once she found out.

“I don’t want to push her,” Peeta reasoned. “She’s not taking the silent treatment from her Dad well.”

“Asshole,” Haymitch remarked. He had told his godfather about his conversation with Gabe. “You’re good enough for her, Peeta. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.”

“Tell that to my Mom, because I’m sure that’s what she’s thinking.”

“Your Mama just doesn’t like when something disrupts her system.”

“Can I get you boys anything else?”

They looked up to see an older woman wearing a light blue head wrap smiling softly at them. Haymitch shook his head and took the woman’s hand.

“Everything was great, Sae,” he replied and then nodded his head at Peeta. “My godson, Peeta Mellark.”

Peeta shook hands with the older woman. “Nice to meet you.”

“Heard you were looking for help here,” Haymitch said to the woman.

“You offering?”

The older man shook his head. “I can do you one better. Hire Peeta—he can bake.”

“Haymitch—“ Peeta looked over at him. “I told you that I can’t take on one more thing—I need to be there for her.”

“This job is full time,” his godfather reasoned. “Quit the wine bar—they won’t give you benefits. This job will.”

Sae sat down with them and looked over at Peeta. “You see, son, I’m retiring soon and I need some help. Not to mention, I’m not as fast as I once was due to my arthritis. Don’t you want to help an old woman?”

She looked at him benignly—she was really good at the guilt trip.

Peeta turned to his godfather. “Did you plan all this?”

“Boy, I’m not that crafty,” Haymitch told him. “But you have an opportunity and Katniss’ belly is getting bigger. Not to mention—eventually you’ll be up to your elbows in diapers and medical bills.”

He knew that he had to be reasonable and his mind drifted to the stack of bills on _both_ their tables. Her father had cut her off, though Laurel was still putting a little bit into a savings account for her school bills as well as the baby.

“Okay,” he relented.

Sae clapped him on the shoulder. “See you at the beginning of next week. We open at eight so be here at seven.” The woman kissed Haymitch on the cheek. “Thanks for suggesting him.”

Peeta glared. “Are you happy now? I got myself a pity job.”

“You shut the hell up,” his godfather growled. “Don’t turn yourself into a martyr, Peeta. It doesn’t look good on you. You’re just a man trying to take care of his family.”

The buzz of Peeta’s phone caused the table to vibrate; he had gotten one at Gale’s suggestion, just in case Katniss needed him. He looked at the screen. “I’m late!”

“For what?”

“Katniss has an appointment with Effie and it’s a big ultrasound! We might be able to find out the baby’s sex,” Peeta told him. “I won’t make it across town in time! Shit…”

“I’ll give you a ride,” Haymitch grumbled as he tossed a bill on the table. “WE’RE OUT, SAE!”

The woman waved from behind the counter and then grinned at Peeta. “See you soon!”

++++++

“So how are you feeling?” Effie asked as they waited for Peeta.

Katniss adjusted the cloth gown—at least that fit her. “Better. I think I’m getting a cold though, because I have a little cough.”

“Perfectly normal,” the woman replied as she wrote in Katniss’ chart. “Some women have unexpected symptoms because of the fluctuating hormones. Some women have nosebleeds and others have stuffy noses. Your unexpected symptom just happens to be a cough.”

Effie looked up at her from her seat. “How are you and Peeta? Getting along well?”

“We’re good. More than good, actually.” Her cheeks flooded with warmth.

“Is he still afraid of having sex with you?”

Katniss scoffed. “I’m not letting that happen.”

“That’s my girl,” Effie replied with a laugh as she wrote. “Everything else going all right?”

“Yup—“

The door burst open and Peeta ran in—along with Haymitch.

He rushed over to her, his face red from running into the office. “I’m so sorry. I lost track of time—“

“It’s fine,” Katniss replied and caressed his chin with her thumb affectionately. “I’m just happy you made it.” She looked over at Haymitch. “Here for the show?”

He grinned at her. “How you doing, sweetheart?”

“Fine. With child, but fine.”

“Who is this?” Effie asked from where she sat, her eyes examining the man standing next to her.

“Haymitch Abernathy, Peeta’s godfather. And you?”

“Dr. Effie Trinket, Katniss’ obstetrician.”

He winked at her. “Nice to meet you.”

Effie ignored him and turned to the couple. “So are we ready to check out your baby?”

“Yes. Do you think we’ll be able to see anything?” Peeta asked.

“It just depends on whether the little one wants to be seen,” she told him before turning to Katniss. “You know the drill.” Then she looked at Haymitch, who was staring at her. “I don’t usually allow this, but you can stay if you want.”

Haymitch grinned at the woman. “If you want me to take you out—all you have to do is ask.”

Effie glared at him. “Your godson is going to be a father in a couple of months. Besides their families, they will need others as their support system when it gets difficult. They need us to be on their team,” she informed him seriously. “So unless you want a full frontal of the birth canal, I suggest you stand next to Peeta.”

“Oh, fuck no!” The man was at his godson’s side and chuckled at seeing Effie’s flushed face. He looked over at Peeta. “She’s terrifying—I think I might marry her.”

“Keep dreaming,” Effie muttered as she lowered the lights and went to the ultrasound machine. “We get to use the big kids’ camera again.”

Katniss placed the blanket next to her across her lower half and then laid back.

Effie pulled her gown open to expose her belly and she felt around.

“Looking good,” she informed the couple before putting the some gel onto her abdomen.

“What’s that?” Haymitch asked.

“Just something to help the camera move around,” she told him. “Did you two want to know the sex if I’m able to see it?”

“I don’t,” Katniss said quickly and then looked over at Peeta. “I know I said that I wanted to know, but now I think I want to be surprised. Is that okay?”

He thought for a moment. Regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl, he was happy. They could always call Effie if they changed their minds, too.

“Okay, as long as it’s healthy,” Peeta responded and looked over at Effie. “I think we’re just going to wait for now.”

“I want to know,” Haymitch told her, his eyes serious. “I’m too old for surprises.”

“Uh--okay.” Effie placed the ultrasound camera over Katniss’ belly, spreading the gel. She concentrated on the screen before her taking measurements and photos along the way. “Everything looks good. The baby’s head has turned down towards the cervix and size is perfect.” She turned up the volume, filling the room with the beautiful galloping sounds. “Heart rate is good, too.”

“Do you know what the baby is?” Haymitch asked, his eyes focused on the screen.

Effie moved the wand once more before turning to give him a small smile. “I do.”

“It’s real,” Katniss whispered as she stared at the baby. The head was perfectly clear and the body was now proportioned. Their baby had hands – sweet, tiny hands. “It’s a he or she. A pink or a blue.”

“Or dandelion,” Peeta remarked and they laughed, relishing in their own private joke.

Their eyes met and she reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck so that her lips could say the words that her mouth wouldn’t allow. Peeta took her face in his hands, tilting to deepen the kiss in response.

“Ahem.”

They pulled away gasping and looked over to where Effie held out the prints of the baby.

“Your baby reacts to heart rate changes,” she informed them with a grin. “I had a hell of a time trying to take more photos because the little one was fluttering a bit.”

She handed the photos to Peeta. “Remember what I told you, Peeta, no blowing—and read over the pamphlets again because you’re going to have to change positions as Katniss gets bigger.”

Peeta nodded before taking the photos and avoiding his godfather’s amused stare.

Haymitch smirked as he looked between them, “I think I’m starting to understand how all of this happened.”

++++++

“My niece or nephew is going to be so cute,” Prim said as she looked over the sonogram photos before handing them off to Johanna. “I want one.”

Katniss picked up an oversized sweater folded on the front table to examine it before putting it back down. It looked like a tent and the thought that she might need something like it put a damper on her mood.

Maternity shopping was supposed to be fun, right? She always hated shopping, however, and the last time she dressed up, she ended up in this situation.

Maybe she could just wear a paper bag.

“Tell yourself that when you can’t fit into any more of your cute leather dresses.”

“So no one knows what the sex is except for Effie and Peeta’s godfather?” Johanna asked as she looked through the racks. “Ugh—I can make you something ten times better than this garbage.”

“Pretty much.” Katniss caressed her stomach and turned to them anxiously. “Can we get out of here? I’m getting depressed looking at all of this.”

Johanna put an arm around her.

“You look fine,” she assured her friend as Prim opened the door for them and they walked out of the store. “Is Peeta not showing you enough affection?”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Prim told Johanna. “Have you heard her during an orgasm?” Katniss’ friend shook her head and Prim grimaced. “Lucky you. That still haunts me.”

“He is showing it just fine.” She looked at Johanna and then at her sister before continuing, “In fact, Peeta told me that he loves me.” She felt her face heat up. “He even told my Dad. Peeta’s even willing to move with me just I can go to Johns Hopkins.” Her face suddenly fell and she turned to them again. “What do I do?”

 “That’s really something,” Johanna replied softly. “Do you love him, too?”

“Also, is making him move really the right thing?” Prim asked and Johanna scowled at her. “I’m just saying—she’s going to be in school and he’s going to be changing diapers all day long. What will he have?”

“They can make it work, Prim,” Johanna argued. She could see Katniss’ brow furrowed in worry. Prim looked over at her sister and then shrugged at their friend.

They fell quiet, each deep in their own thoughts until Prim broke the silence.

“Are you going to get married—“

“Can we not talk about this anymore? I need to sit down and I’m hungry,” Katniss interrupted tiredly.

Turning the corner, the three found a small cafe and Prim ushered her to an outside table while Johanna went inside to tell the staff that their pregnant friend was already sitting at their table. Prim sat across from her and followed her sister as she adjusted herself to a more comfortable position.

“Are you really okay?” Prim asked suddenly, her eyes serious. She placed her hand over Katniss’. “Mom has been asking about you.”

Katniss looked down for a moment. The memory of her father’s disappointed eyes still hurt. He had never acted this way and his callousness toward Peeta really surprised her. Both Katniss and her father were calm and quiet people and nothing really fazed them – well, except for her unexpected announcement.

She had always thought that he would be her rock.

However, Katniss couldn’t forgive him for telling Peeta that he wasn’t good enough. He was always trying to prove himself when he never had to—Peeta was perfect.

She was the one who was terrifically flawed. It scared her to think that he might one day see all of this—would he still say that he loved her then?

“Katniss?”

She looked up to see Prim and Johanna staring at her.

“You look a little out of it,” Johanna said and poured her a glass of water from the carafe that had appeared without her realizing it.

“Tired, I guess,” she replied.  “Is this normal?”

“Welcome to the next eighteen years of your life,” her friend told her. “I mean, once the baby is born.”

Her head was beginning to spin and when she looked up to ask Johanna if this was normal—everything went dark.

++++++

“Fainting can happen to pregnant women.”

“It never happened to me when I was pregnant with Jenna!”

“You were a different case, Johanna.”

Her eyes opened and Katniss felt the heaviness on her left hand—she was connected to an IV. In front of her were Effie and Johanna, who were deep in conversation.

“Katniss!” She turned her head to see Prim sitting next to her, relief filling her face as she rushed over to the bed. “You okay, sis?”

“What happened?” Her throat felt dry.

“We were sitting outside and you were just so quiet,” Prim said. “Then you looked at Johanna and your eyes rolled back.” She wiped her eyes. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life.”

“You’re dehydrated, Katniss, which can cause dilation in your blood vessels,” Effie said, her eyes serious. “Also, according to Johanna, you’re under a lot of stress—these things can cause issues for your circulatory system.”

Heavy footsteps interrupted her lecture and Peeta rushed in, his eyes zeroing on Katniss in the bed.

He rushed to her and their lips met briefly. Leaning his forehead on hers as they pulled away, his eyes searched hers just to assure himself she was really all right.

“Baby, you scared the shit out of me,” he whispered. “I don’t think I’ve ever ran so fast.”

“You ran here?” He nodded. “All the way from your place?”

“When Prim called, I didn’t really think about that.”

Her eyes suddenly went to her stomach in the loose gown—the baby. Frantic hands went to her abdomen feeling for her bump; it was there.

“Thank goodness.” She looked over at Effie, her eyes filling. She could feel Peeta take her hand, grasping it tightly. “Effie? The baby?”

Her doctor gave her a nod. “The baby is fine. I did an ultrasound while you were out and checked for bleeding. No bleeding and baby is fine—heart rate is strong. You, however, need to stop stressing yourself out.”

Then she was sobbing into Peeta’s shoulder.

Gaining five fucking pounds seemed so petty.

++++++

“I’m fine.”

Katniss crossed her arms and leaned back against the pillow, glaring at him the whole time.

Peeta sat next to her on the bed and took her hand. “You were just released this afternoon, Katniss.”

The discharge had been at Katniss’ insistence and Effie seemed comfortable with letting her go, but he had his reservations.

When he got the call from Prim about Katniss passing out, it was like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him. His face had gone numb again—and it hadn’t been like the first time at her parents’ house. This numbness was because his heart had stopped, causing everything else to freeze inside—and all happened in a matter of seconds.

Before he knew it, he was running out the door leaving his friends confused, although they were stoned and slightly confused anyway.

“I know that you like to take care of yourself,” he continued. “But this is not about you or me anymore—this is about the baby now. You just need some rest and there isn’t anything wrong with that.”

Katniss looked over at him. “Since I’m stuck in bed, is there anything else we can do to occupy the time?” She turned to him, her eyes dark and her tongue darted out to wet her lips, causing a groan to escape from his.

In his black V-neck and a pair of boxers, she was incredibly enticing. He reminded himself to steal the shirt back from her one day and then give it back _after_ she had the baby.

“Seriously, Katniss?” He had to grin at her attempt. “Keep it in your shorts. I’ll ask Effie about _that_ tomorrow when I check in with her.”

She huffed and leaned back against the pillow before glaring at him once more.

He stared back—she wouldn’t break him this time.

A knock interrupted their staring war and he stood up. “I’ll get it.”

Walking through the living room of her apartment, he went to the door and found Gale standing before him.

“Hey,” Gale greeted him with a smile. “She still pissed?”

“How did you know?” Peeta asked as he widened the door.

“When we were younger, she had to have her tonsils removed and once she woke up—she was writing furiously on the whiteboard that Johanna and I gave her that she was fine and that she could go to school.”

“Sounds like something she would do.”

“Anyway, Johanna sent some brownies that she made with Jenna.” Gale handed him a plate. “Also, someone is here to see you.” He whistled and Laurel emerged from behind Gale. “She said you called her.”

Katniss’ mom gave him a quick wave and he smiled at her before looking warily at Gale. “I did—and I know that she’s going to be angry.”

“May the odds be ever in your favor,” Gale quipped.

“That’s a horrible saying,” Peeta replied. “Wait—“ He went to the coffee table and retrieved a Tupperware container.  “For you and Johanna. They’re from my roommates.”

Gale eyed the case. “What are they?”

“Brownies.”

“But—“

“For after Jenna goes to bed.” Peeta gave him a pointed stare. “To help you… relax.”

“I don’t know if I should be hearing this,” Laurel said to them. “Hazelle and Angie would kill me if they ever found out.”

Gale took the container quickly. “Thanks, I guess. Good luck, bro.” He clapped Peeta’s shoulder before turning to go back to his house.

Peeta met Laurel’s eyes and he stepped back to let her in. Closing the door behind her, he gave her an anxious smile.

“She doesn’t know I’m here, does she?”

“Peeta—“ Katniss emerged from their room, her face pale and his long shirt hanging off her. It tightened slightly from where her bump emerged. “—Mom?”

Laurel gave her a smile, “You have a belly now.”

Peeta went to her, “Katniss—“

“Don’t.” She turned away from him.

“You’re not mad at her,” he told her. “And you have to talk to at least one of your parents.”

She remained silent, her back still turned away.

Stubborn, she was so stubborn sometimes. He was just beginning to learn this about her. However, he also knew that Katniss was hurting and she needed this, even though she wouldn’t admit it.

“Be mad at me all you want.” Peeta kissed the exposed skin at base of her neck. “But it’s a parent’s right to know when their child needs them.”

Katniss sighed before walking back into her room.

He turned to her mother, “Go right in.”

Laurel walked over and squeezed his hand. “Thanks, son.”

She closed the door behind her.

++++++

When the door clicked, Katniss looked up from where she was sitting in bed. Her mother stood with her back against the door. Her insides tightened at seeing the woman in front of her; she couldn’t lie to herself—she had missed her mother.

They had always been very different personality-wise. Her mom was bright and approachable just like Prim, who had bonded with their mother because of their similar dispositions. She had never been particularly close to her mother and Katniss wasn’t the warmest person, so it was easy to understand why they never bonded.

“Don’t be mad at Peeta,” her mother told her softly. “Johanna had to convince him to talk to me at first.”

“I’m not mad at him,” Katniss sighed. “I’m frustrated with myself.”

Her mom approached the bed, sitting at the foot of her side. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“There’s a lot happening,” she found herself saying. “I spent these past few days worrying about gaining weight and that isn’t something I would usually care about. I’m supposed to be focusing on other things, like learning how to chart, or how I’m going to pay for books at Johns Hopkins, or how we are going to pay for the hospital bills—“

“Peeta and I have already talked about that,” her mother said. “I’ve put you on our plan—you’re not twenty-five yet, so you can still be insured with us. Peeta will put the baby on his plan with the bakery once he or she is born. He would’ve put you on it too, but you’re not married—not like you will have to be one day or anything.”

“He just started that job two weeks ago and I’m already causing problems for him.” Katniss leaned back against her pillow. “Thank goodness this whole fainting thing happened on his day off.” She looked over at her mother. “And I was so scared when I thought I lost the baby. It was the worst feeling—like someone was ripping my heart out. Is all of this normal?”

Her mom stood up and moved to sit by Katniss’ hips. She turned to her daughter, searching her eyes only to find anxiety.

“Nothing during pregnancy or motherhood is normal.” Laurel cupped her face. “And while it is scary, I know that every mother finds her way eventually.” She placed her hands in her lap. “You might have a completely different way of feeding your baby or talking to your child about important issues than I might. It’s okay to ask for help when you need it, however. Especially now.”

“I know. I’ve just never been particularly vocal about what I wanted.”

“Every mother knows their child better than anyone else. You never needed to be vocal to make yourself known. You don’t really know the effect you can have on people, Katniss, but I’ve always known. From the moment you were born, actually.”

“Really?” Katniss bit her lip, trying to calm her emotions.

“I was speechless the first time your eyes met mine,” her mom told her.

She finally saw her mother for the person she was – the peacemaker, the one who would tuck her in, and the one who knew she couldn’t stand raw tomatoes or onions in her food—the woman who knew her daughters inside and out.

It felt like being a mother was going to be a daunting job— but her mother had her and Prim and did just fine. Katniss knew that her mother would help her find her way.

“I’ve missed you,” she said and it came out in barely a whisper.

But her mother heard her anyway.

++++++

“Are you sure, love?”

“I’m sure I can manage to walk you out,” Katniss insisted as she stood up from her bed. “I’ve been in bed for almost two hours.”

Her mother nodded, “Just remember to give yourself time and if you ever need anything, just call me.”

“I think I’ve asked you enough questions.” She stood up, rubbing her belly. “I think it’s dinner time.”

Together, the two went to the door and Laurel opened it for her daughter. She peeked out and then beckoned Katniss over.

“Look,” she told her daughter.

Katniss went to the open doorway and found Peeta asleep on the couch while a fire burned in the pool house’s tiny fireplace. Her mouth rose in a smile and she went to him.

Taking a blanket from the loveseat, she covered him and knelt down before his sleeping form.

He looked so young when he slept.

Her hand reached out to brush his hair back and he sighed, his lips turning upward. Katniss leaned forward and gently placed a kiss on his lips. They were slightly chapped but tasted of coconut. He always drank coconut water; it was one of the small things she knew about him and she stored it all inside her.

Standing up, she turned to see her mother watching her with a bemused expression. “You ready?”

Together, they went to her door and opening it, Laurel walked out onto the lawn next to the gated pool. She turned to Katniss and held out her arms to her.

She rushed into them quickly, “Thank you for talking to me.”

“Don’t worry about your father,” her mother said as they embraced. “He’ll come around. This isn’t really about Peeta and not approving of him. This is about him losing you. He was ready to lose you to Johns Hopkins, but not to Peeta Mellark.” Laurel kissed her forehead. “Everything will work out.”

Katniss nodded and her mother turned to leave.

“Mom?” Laurel turned and she went to her. Katniss looked down for a moment, trying to think of the right words.

She finally decided that there wasn’t really a good way to ask this particular question, “How do you know that you love someone?”

Her mother searched her face, tucking a tendril of hair behind Katniss’ ear before meeting her eyes again.

“You already know.”

“What?” Laurel turned and began to walk towards the house. “Mom—“

“Good night, Katniss.”

Sighing, she went back into the house and found Peeta sitting up on the couch. Closing the door behind her, Katniss gave him a smile. Walking over, she sat next to Peeta and tucked her feet under her.

“Are you still mad at me?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “I was never mad. I was being stubborn.”

“Just another one of your wonderful quirks,” Peeta said. “We’ll spend a lot of time arguing and I’m sure I’ll never win.”

“Get used to it, Mellark,” she grinned. “When this baby comes, we’re both going to be losing to him or her. My mom told me that she was a goner when she first met me.”

“I believe that.” He reached over to pull her close to him and she rested the back of her head against his chest, nestling herself in-between his stretched out legs. “I know I was definitely breathless when I met you.”

“Smooth line, no wonder I ended up pregnant.” Katniss rubbed her belly, feeling his chuckling against her body. “Is that how it’s going to be, little one? Are you going to take advantage of us?

She turned her head to look up at him. “My mom told me that the baby can hear us, so we should talk to him or her.”

“So you and your Mom had a good talk?”

“We got mostly everything sorted out,” Katniss told him. “She gave me some advice.”

“I’m happy then.” Peeta kissed her gently and when he pulled away, she could see the different flecks of blue in his eyes in the soft light of the living room. “Can I try something?”

 “Sure.”

“Lay back,”Peeta instructed as he stood up and Katniss obliged, stretching her legs across the couch.

Leaning back on a cushion, she watched him get on his knees before her. Slowly, he leaned down so his lips were almost brushing her swell. Peeta met her eyes and she ran a hand through his hair in reassurance. She wanted him to know that he could say anything he wanted to their baby and trust her to keep it to herself.

“Hey there, baby, it’s me, your uh—Dad,” he began in a soft, unsteady voice. “It’s strange to introduce myself to you like that, but I guess I’ll have to get used to it. So I thought I’d try something to help you recognize when you should sleep. Your Mom is going to be busy at school and I think it might be just the two of us some nights. So maybe you could take it easy on me.”

“Peeta…” He looked up, hearing the softness in the way she said his name. Katniss couldn’t stop her eyes from watering at the reverent way he looked at her.

He was sacrificing his life here for her, and it was all happening in only a couple of months. Katniss knew it was likely that what he said was the truth. She would be tied up in school while he was taking care of their baby, but he was willing to do it—for her.

“Don’t get upset,” he told her calmly. “The baby will know.”

She nodded and took a deep breath.

_“Well, I'd like to visit the moon_   
_On a rocket ship high in the air_   
_Yes, I'd like to visit the moon_   
_But I don't think I'd like to live there_   
_Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above_   
_I would miss all the places and people I love_   
_So although I might like it for one afternoon_   
_I don't want to live on the moon…”_

Katniss recognized the song from ‘Sesame Street’ immediately, a memory rising in her mind of herself listening to it as a child while she played with her toys.

While she liked listening to Ernie sing it as a child, Peeta’s soft, slightly hoarse singing caused her heart to quicken its pace. He tried to sing on-key but couldn’t quite get it and she helped him when he forgot some of the words. But it seemed that Peeta was determined to make sure their child heard his song.

_“So although I may go, I'll be coming home soon_   
_'Cause I don't want to live on the moon_   
_No, I don't want to live on the moon…”_

He looked up at her, his eyes shining because of the firelight. “Do you think the baby heard?”

Katniss nodded, her mouth suddenly dry as she stared down at him.

Her mother was right. She already knew.

“Peeta?”

He smiled up at her, his skin glowing and his cheeks warm from the heat. “Yeah?”

Katniss kissed him softly, then pulled away so their eyes could meet again.

“I love you.”

* * *

Just fluffy/angsty Everlark. I think I needed it, since I wrote this chapter just after watching ‘Catching Fire’.

So this chapter begins at 15 weeks and ends at 17 weeks.

I know Katniss seems a little OOC in terms of her weight gain, but I think it’s more a rude awakening that besides hormone changes, there are also bodily changes. For someone who has never really paid attention to her appearance, Katniss finds the size chaotic to her system. She has to buy new clothes, new bras, and new shoes, which she sees as a waste of money for her and Peeta.

There’s a little Hayffie in there, but let’s see if anything comes out of it.

So you can possibly see your baby’s gender at 15 weeks but it’s not as accurate and also the baby can be positioned in a way that you might not be able to see it anyway. Any ideas on what the baby is? Also, any name thoughts or suggestions? I have two in mind.

I love that Katniss is relating to her mother on a new level and finding a new appreciation for her, don’t you? Also, her mom is just awesome.

Thoughts, reviews, questions are always appreciated. I’m on Tumblr, AO3 and FFN.

Next: Twenty weeks—parenting lessons, the return of the Mellarks, and some important questions.

Till then, JLaLa


	6. Part Six: Twenty Weeks

Thank you for your amazing support for this fic! Y’all are amazing!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, my beta, for her endless support and tolerance—I bug her a lot.

One

Part Six: Twenty Weeks

Peeta took a deep breath before continuing, “So will you marry me?”

“There’s no diamond in this ring.”

He stood up from where he knelt and glared at Cato.

“I know that. I can’t afford one—not yet at least,” he informed the man standing before him. “It took me three paychecks just to get this. I still have four months to save for the actual diamond.”

“Unless she goes into labor early,” Thresh said from his spot on their couch, watching the two of them. “Also, seriously, dude—you need to work on that proposal.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Peeta asked worriedly.

“It’s not exactly romantic,” his friend pointed out as he stood up and joined them. “You can’t just ask right off.” Thresh took the box from Peeta. “It has to be romantic. Here—watch.”

Kneeling before Cato, he took the man’s hand.

“From the moment I met you, I knew there was something special about you and I was right. You’re beautiful, smart and you’re the strongest woman I know. I’m lucky just to be holding your hand. I hope that you’ll give me the honor of spending the rest of my life with you—will you marry me?”

Thresh held the box out for Cato.

“MY NUBIAN KING!” Cato mock swooned before tackling Thresh to the ground. “You are more handsome than Denzel Washington and Will Smith put together!”

“Are we interrupting?”

They all looked up to see Annie and Finnick at the living room entryway holding bags of groceries, both with dark sunglasses on. They had come stumbling into the apartment around four in the morning and then disappeared again by seven.

“I might still be a little buzzed because I think I just saw Thresh propose to Cato,” Finnick said with a lazy smile.

“Bro, it isn’t what you think,” Thresh replied from where he laid on the ground, then noticed that Cato was still on top of him. “Dude—GET OFF ME!”

“Hey, equality man,” Finnick responded as he sat in the recliner, placing his bag next to him. “I dig that.”

“I was just trying out my proposal to Katniss,” Peeta told him. “Then _that_ happened.”

“You’re going to propose to Katniss?” Annie said as she sat on Finnick’s lap. “That’s really sweet.”

“I mean, she doesn’t have to say yes,” Peeta said. “I just want her to know that regardless of whether she says yes or no—I’m going to be there.” He took the box back from Thresh who was still trying to push Cato off of him. “Her birthday is coming up and I want it to be special.”

Peeta couldn’t really be honest with them. He knew that if she said no, it would break his heart.

“Practice on Annie,” Finnick suddenly said. “It might be easier since she’s a girl and all.” He looked up at Annie with his sunglasses still on. “You don’t mind, do you?”

Annie whipped off her sunglasses to reveal wide, slightly blood-shot eyes. “This is going to be _fun_.” She stood up. “Move aside, boys.” Kicking the other two boys off the carpet, she went to Peeta. “Come on—make me say yes.”

“He doesn’t even have a diamond on that thing,” Cato grumbled as he sat on the couch.

“That shouldn’t matter— _if_ his proposal is more than adequate,” Annie argued and then turned to Peeta with encouraging eyes. “Go ahead. Just remember to speak from the heart.”

Peeta took a deep breath, trying to imagine that Katniss was in front of him.

“The first time I met you, I knew you would break my heart.”

“What?” Annie said. He held his palm up in front of him to stop her from inquiring.

“And you did in a way. Every time you walked away, I was scared that I would never see you again and the thought broke me. I was afraid that I would never see your smile or hear your laugh, so I took a chance and went after you.” Peeta thought of Katniss’ smile as he continued. “Thank God for lucky chances because everything since that night has been a crazy, beautiful ride. I don’t regret a single moment and I hope you don’t either. Will you marry me?”

Peeta opened the box for Annie.

“Oh, shiny!” She plucked the ring from the box and walked away.

He turned to Finnick, who quickly sniffled. “Are you crying?”

“No! I was just hastily snorting crack!”

Peeta rolled his eyes and looked over at Cato and Thresh. “How about you guys? Any good?”

“Our little boy is all grown up and getting married!” Cato said to Thresh.

“For real, though, it was good,” Thresh assured him. “I’d hate to lose you now that you’ve become all responsible and shit, but if it’s for the greater good and you’re in love and stuff…”

“Thanks.”

Peeta grinned at him and suddenly realized something.

“Oh shit—where the hell did Annie go?”

++++++

Katniss couldn’t see her feet.

“This is what happens when I eat too many Pop-Tarts,” she said to herself. Lifting her head, she could barely see the tips of her toes; her belly button was at the point of popping out, too.

“Katniss?” Looking over at the doorway, she saw Peeta watching her with an amused smile. “You okay? Breakfast is ready.”

Walking over, he sat by her belly and leaned down to give her a kiss.

She noticed the bags under his eyes and grimaced. “I was snoring again, wasn’t I?”

“You weren’t that loud,” he assured her. “Effie said it was normal, so don’t sweat it.”

“Could I get any more gross?”

“You’re beautiful.” Peeta leaned down to kiss her again. “And if you want, I can _show_ you just how beautiful you are.”

His hands went to the buttons of the nightshirt she wore as he slowly began to undo them, trailing kisses down the line of exposed, bare skin. Katniss groaned softly and her hands caressed his hair as he worshipped her body.

She didn’t know how he managed to do it—make her feel beautiful and desirable just by his touch.

Peeta stopped at her belly and placed a gentle kiss on it. “Good morning, baby.” His hand went to her bare legs and she arched as he reached her inner thigh. “I hope you don’t mind, but your mom is looking incredibly sexy this morning and I just—need her. One day, you’ll understand; unless you’re a girl because I won’t allow any boy to touch you.”  

He looked up at her with a teasing smile, his blue eyes blazing, and she felt herself grow wet.

“Come here,” she beckoned, her voice tight and he crawled onto the bed as she pushed herself up to meet him in the middle. Katniss’ hand went to the side of his neck and her thumb stroked his earlobe. His eyes closed at her touch and a small moan escaped from his mouth. “How do you do it, Peeta?”

Peeta opened his eyes slowly as he pulled her closer. “Do what?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“How do you manage to make me feel strong and weak at the same time?”

That was exactly how Peeta made her feel. All she needed from him was his hand to hold or some words of encouragement and she felt like she could do anything. Yet his smile, his touch, and his kisses made her knees grow weak and she could feel herself quake when he looked at her a certain way.

“I don’t know,” he replied and brushed his lips against hers. “How do you do it?”

Katniss gently laid him back and he looked up at her as she slowly pushed the shirt she wore off, exposing her beautiful nude form. He loved the way she looked; her full breasts, her rich skin and the growing belly that held their child.

Peeta appreciated the female body; it went through a lot, bringing pleasure and growing life.

“I guess when you love someone,” Katniss began as she hurriedly pulled off his pajama bottoms. He yanked at the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the ground. “They can do that to you.”

Her eyes met his as she straddled him; his hands found her hips to guide her over his aching cock.

“Then just love me,” he hissed as she sank down slowly, savoring every inch of him. “And I will be happy for the rest of my life.”

Her back arched as she felt that spike of pleasure vibrate through her and her eyes closed in bliss.

“I love you,” she whispered into the heated air. They began to move languorously and she angled her body towards him, the friction of her clit rubbing against his pelvis causing that coil of pleasure inside her to tighten.

“You are so beautiful,” he told her through clenched teeth. He loved to see her in control yet so easily undone at the same time. Peeta licked his thumbs and his hands went to her breasts, his moistened fingers gliding over her hardened nipples. “Everything about you.”

“I want this forever,” Katniss moaned, rising off of him before impaling herself on his shaft, kissing him as a growl escaped his mouth. She looked into his eyes as she pulled away and saw something desperately vulnerable in them. She knew that they reflected the own look in her eyes. “Not just this—everything else that comes along with it.”

He arched in ecstasy at her words and she unexpectedly cried out as he hit that spot that made her fall. “PEETA!”

The sound of her cry and the tightening of her insides around his hard length was enough. Suddenly, Peeta was spilling inside of her, saying her name over and over like a prayer.

Still trembling from the aftershock of her orgasm, Katniss slowly moved off him and laid on her side with her back to his chest. She felt him wrap his arms around her and she smiled, resting against him.

His hand reached to move her hair, exposing her neck and he pressed his lips against her sweaty skin. It comforted her to be this open with Peeta, to feel so safe and sound. She could feel her eyes begin to droop as she relaxed in his strong arms.

Before Katniss fell into slumber, she felt his mouth close to her ear, smelling peppermint.

“Did you mean it?” he whispered into her ear. “Did you?”

Katniss didn’t need to ask what he meant. She already knew.

“Yes.”

++++++

“You want to marry him!” Johanna teased as they walked down the street. “You want to marry him and have his baby—whoops, too late!”

“Stop!” Katniss tried to stop the heat from invading her cheeks. “We were just finishing so we were caught up in the moment.”

“HEY!”

They turned to see Prim tittering toward them from across the street in stiletto ankle boots and a short, white shift dress. Several cars stopped to stare at the tall, gorgeous blonde holding shopping bags in both of her hands.

When she got to the pair, Prim kissed each of their cheeks. “What are you bitches talking about?”

“Apparently, your sister wants Peeta to put a ring on it,” Johanna informed her.

“I DO NOT!” Katniss protested. “You can’t be held accountable for what you say when you have the gloriousness that is Peeta Mellark’s penis inside of you—“

“Hey, Katniss.”  She froze in place.

It couldn’t be.

She looked up and met a pair of laughing blue eyes.

Oh, but it was.

Will was standing in front of her and Cal was beside him, trying very hard not to laugh.

She smiled weakly at Peeta’s brothers. “Hey, guys.”

Will reached forward and pulled her into his arms. “How are you, gorgeous?” He kissed her cheek as he pulled away.

“You are glowing,” Cal remarked and then went to hug her. “So Peeta has been giving it good, huh?”

 “Please just shoot me now.”

“Who are they?” Will asked, looking behind her.

She looked over at Prim, whose eyes were wide while Johanna stared at the men before her, mouth slightly agape.

Prim quickly stepped forward, clearly in awe of the handsome men. “Hi, I’m single—I mean Prim!” She turned crimson. “Oh, crap…”

Johanna approached them eagerly.

“I’m Johanna and I’m single—“ Prim elbowed her in the ribs. “Kind of.”

“She’s married and she has a kid,” Prim informed the men.

Katniss watched Will and Cal trying not to smile; it seemed they knew the effect they had on women.

Johanna glared at Prim. “Why did you have to say it like that?”

“Uh, because it’s the truth?”

“Hot mom, huh?” Cal winked at Johanna. “I like that.”

“So what are you guys doing here?” Katniss asked them.

“We came to see you and Peeta, of course!” Cal put an arm around her as they began to walk. “Mom and Dad are on their way to visit Peeta right now. Will and I just wanted to do some shopping before joining them.”

She turned to him suddenly panicked, her thick braid whipping around to slap Cal in the face.

“Did you say your parents are going to see Peeta?”

“THAT HURT!” Cal rubbed his cheek as he stared at her. “What the hell was that about?”

“Where’s my phone?” Katniss dug through her tote bag, looking for her cell. Damn her pregnancy brain. “Where the FUCK is my phone?”

She tried to remember if Peeta was at work or at his house.

It would be worse if he was at home—for obvious reasons. On the other hand, she didn’t want them to bombard him at work.

Her protective instincts had taken over. Peeta was happy, _they_ were happy and she didn’t want anyone ruining it.

“Calm down,” Will told her. “Here—use my phone.” Katniss snatched it out of his hand and quickly began dialing. He turned to Johanna and Prim. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Welcome to the world of twenty-week pregnant Katniss Everdeen,” Johanna replied with a grin. “The hormones are strong in this one.”

Cal guffawed.

Katniss glared at him as she listened to the ringing. “Damnit Peeta! PICK UP YOUR PHONE!”

++++++

Peeta reached into his apron pocket when he felt his phone vibrate.

Five missed calls from Will—what the hell? He put the phone back into his pocket.

Peeta still had to roll out some dough, plus some company was picking up a box of cookies for a party in about an hour.

Looking up at the clock in front of him and going to the far end of the kitchen, Peeta went to the wooden counter against the wall and checked each loaf. He pulled out a small notebook from his pocket writing down his findings for each one. He had been experimenting with the potency for each brand of yeast that they were using.

Peeta figured that if he was able to find the best in-between brand, it would save Sae a shitload of money in food expenses.

“Peeta!” He looked over to see Sae walking over. “How’s it going?

“Everything’s looking good,” Peeta informed her. “I’ll bake the best six loaves and then we can look over them tomorrow. I’m hoping to save you at least a cool thousand each month.”

She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re such a good boy—helping an old woman with her retirement fund,” Sae said affectionately. “There are some people outside looking for you, say they’re your parents or something like that.”

Fuck.

Now he understood all the phone calls.

“Thanks, Sae,” he replied and nervously wiped his hands on his apron. “I’m just going to say hello and then I’ll get back to work.”

Haymitch had said that he would wait as long as he could to tell his parents about his new job, but he couldn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t eventually find out.

It had been a good month.

“Take your time,” Sae replied with a smile. “We’re almost finished for the day anyway and I’m thinking about taking off early. Go ahead and lock up for me after the pick-up, won’t you? I’ll leave the keys here.”

“Sure.” He was meeting Katniss after her shopping trip with Prim and Johanna anyway.

Stepping out into the front of the bakery, Peeta found his parents sitting at the table next to the window. His father was sipping coffee while his mother looked around at her surroundings.

The bakery was located in the more bohemian part of their town where artists and students enjoyed sitting outside smoking grass while drinking their lattes. Sae even featured some of the local artists’ artwork in her bakery for purchase.

It wasn’t exactly a place that his parents would hang out in.

“Hey, Mom; hey, Dad,” he greeted as he went around the counter. “What are you two doing here?”

His father stood and pulled him into a quick hug. “We were getting worried when we hadn’t heard from you. So your mother twisted Haymitch’s arm and got him to tell her where you were working. This is a great place.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Peeta gave him an appreciative smile before he turned to his mother.

She hugged him tightly. “You weren’t cashing the checks we’ve been sending and I’ve been worried.” His mother did another onceover around the bakery. “And I think I have a little bit of reason to be. This neighborhood is safe at night, isn’t it?”

Peeta groaned inwardly. “Yes, Mom.”

“I just got a text from Cal. He and Will ran into Katniss and her girlfriends but they’re dragging her over here so we can all go to dinner tonight,” his father informed him cheerily.

He now knew that the calls were from Katniss. She had forgotten her phone at home as she was rushing out the door.

“How is Katniss?” his mother suddenly asked. “You’ve both disappeared since the last time we saw each other. Haymitch told us that he got to go to one of your appointments and says he even knows the sex of the baby.” He could see the annoyance in his mother’s eyes. “It’s not really fair to shut us out, you know.”

It wasn’t that Peeta didn’t want his family around. It was their constant need to control him that was overwhelming at times. He was going to be a father and needed to learn how to stand his ground.

If Peeta couldn’t handle them, how would he handle the baby when he or she was finally here? The two of them would be spending a lot of time together when Katniss was in school.

“We’ve been busy,” Peeta explained as they all sat down. “I’ve been working and Katniss has been volunteering and taking care of Jenna—“

“Who’s Jenna?” his mother asked.

“Gale and Johanna—friends of ours—she’s their daughter,” he said before continuing. “Then Katniss passed out and ended up in the hospital—“

His father put his hand up. “Wait, Katniss was in the hospital?”

“Just for a day. She was dehydrated and a little stressed out, so Effie wanted to observe her, just to be safe.”

His mother shook her head. “That’s something you call us about, Peeta! And she’s still moving about—shouldn’t Katniss be on bed rest? I’m not sure I trust this doctor of yours—“

“Effie is perfectly capable,” Peeta argued. “Katniss is comfortable with her and Haymitch thinks she’s great.” He didn’t mention that it was because Haymitch was enamored with their sassy doctor. “Effie is a good obstetrician and she’s been with us since the beginning. So please, trust us, okay?”

“Of course we do, son,” his father chimed in. “Here are your brothers with Katniss!”

He looked out the window to see Katniss approaching, sandwiched between his brothers like a prisoner. Their eyes met and he could see that her cheeks were bright red.

What did they do to her?

The bell on the door jingled as the trio entered and she ran straight into his arms.

“I called you,” she whispered into his ear.

“I didn’t know it was you. Are you okay?”

Katniss pulled away and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

“I’ll explain later, but let’s just say that your brothers know a little more about your cock than I’d want them to.”

She rushed over to greet his parents.

Wait—what did she say?

++++++

“We heard you have a glorious cock.”

Peeta almost choked on his wine. He looked over at Will.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked his brother.

Looking over, Peeta saw Katniss sitting next to his mother as they looked over the latest sonogram photos. His father had pulled out his glasses trying to uncover the sex of the baby in the picture he held.

His family had taken them to a quiet bistro in the nicer part of town because Katniss was suddenly craving a chicken pot pie.

Peeta had to admit that he found his family’s willingness to indulge her cravings really nice.

Will leaned over. “We ran into Katniss as she was telling her sister and friend about your ‘glorious cock’, or something to that effect.” He looked over at him. “You’re really in love with her, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“It’s practically radiating off of you,” his brother responded, his eyes serious. “And off of her—something’s changed. This isn’t just about a partnership in parenting anymore, is it?”

It was at the tip of his tongue to tell Will about the ring—

“So you both don’t want to know the sex?”

He looked over at his Dad, who was staring at him.

Peeta shook his head and met Katniss’ eyes. “As long as he or she is healthy, we’re happy.”

“How will we tell people what colors to bring for the baby shower gifts?” his mother asked.

“Baby shower?” he repeated.

“The one we’re going to throw, of course!” His mother pulled out her phone. “I have it penciled in for two months from now at our house.”

“What if we don’t want a baby shower?” Peeta countered. 

“Of course, you want one,” his mother responded.

“Anna, we want to be able to pick the baby’s things out together,” Katniss told his mother through her tight lips.

Peeta saw that Katniss was on the brink. God save them if she exploded.

“Are you both going to be able to afford all the baby’s things?” she asked the two.

“Oh man, here she goes,” Cal muttered.

“It’s best that you get all these things because you’re going to need to save for other things like hospital bills,” Anna informed them. “The bill for the hospital after Katniss delivers will be about ten grand, even after insurance coverage.”

“We will figure it out,” Peeta insisted and he felt his anger rise.

“This isn’t about figuring it out—“

Katniss jumped up from her seat.

“NO.” She looked over at Anna. “I know what you’re thinking, that we’re not capable of doing this. That _he’s_ not capable of doing this.”

She looked over at Peeta. “You don’t see what I see. You don’t see the man who takes care of me and who makes sure that I keep all my appointments. The man who researched the best place to take a parenting class and the one who literally ran all the way from his house when he found out I was in the hospital. He was the one who called my mother to tell her how I was doing and reunited us.”

“Sweetheart…” he called out, trying to calm her down.

“No,” Katniss said again firmly. “They should hear this. I’ve had a hard enough time not speaking to my Dad because of what he said to Peeta, so I won’t tolerate anything else being said about him or us.” She looked over at him. “Peeta, let’s go.”

Katniss walked off in a huff, leaving a blaze of anger radiating from her. They watched her rip open the door to the restaurant as she exited and Peeta heard Cal let out a low whistle in astonishment.

If there was ever a moment that solidified his reason for wanting to marry her, it was this one.

That fire in her got him every time.

He looked around at his family, stopping to look into his mother’s eyes.

“You can’t make my decisions for me anymore because it’s not just me—it’s us. This is about _my_ family now,” he told them. “This is about the baby and her—if she’ll have me.” He looked at Will briefly and his brother nodded in understanding.

Peeta left the restaurant and followed her trail, where she was waiting for him with open arms.

“I’m proud of you every day, Peeta,” she said as they held one another.

“I choose us every day, Katniss.”

++++++

A week later, they found themselves sitting in a classroom at the local elementary school.

Peeta looked next to where Katniss was setting them up. She had her notebook, pencils and a sharpener placed neatly in front of her. Smiling, Peeta watched as she took out a recorder.

“Oh, my God,” he chuckled. “You’re a total nerd.”

“Shut up,” she responded with a glare. “I just want to be well-informed, okay?”

“Are you going to give the teacher an apple, too?”

Katniss turned to him with fire in her eyes. “You’re going to get it if you’re not careful.”

“Promise?”

“Aren’t you two adorable?”

They looked over to an adjacent table where another couple about their age sat. Both were blond and blue-eyed; the wavy-haired woman was sporting a very large belly through the green maxi dress she wore. The man was in a pair of ripped jeans and a red flannel button down.

“Is this your first baby?” the woman asked.

Katniss looked over at her and nodded shyly.

“I’m Glimmer, by the way, and this handsome piece of man sitting next to me is my husband, Marvel.”

Peeta gave them a smile. “Well, I’m Peeta and this is Katniss.”

“Your wife?” Marvel asked with a friendly grin.

They both shook their heads.

“Is this your first?” Katniss asked.

“No, no honey—this is our third,” Glimmer said, placing a hand on her belly and then moved it again. “And this is our fourth.”

“Holy shit!” she exclaimed. “You look so young.”

“We got started young,” Marvel told them. “High school sweethearts, you see. Glimmer was pregnant with our daughter, Ada, when we graduated.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet to show them a picture of a little blonde girl with Marvel’s smile. “Two years later, MJ, or Marvel Junior came along.” He flipped the picture flap to show them the toddler with Glimmer’s eyes.

“Then Marvel and I graduated from college and celebrated with too many Kahlua drinks,” Glimmer continued for him. “So now we’re having Ellie and Francis, another boy and girl, in about two months.”

“Enough about us,” Marvel said. “How did you two meet?”

“I’m a bartender and one night Katniss came into the club I was working at,” Peeta recounted. “And she changed my life.”

“He taught me how to drink a Lemon Drop,” Katniss added as she began to sharpen her pencils. “We enjoyed them a little too much and this little one happened.” She looked up at them as she blew on the sharpened lead. “So why are you taking this class? You should be well-versed in all this.”

“We just need a refresher,” Glimmer said easily. “Plus, we’ve been thinking of another delivery option.”

Peeta looked bewildered. “Wait—there’s a third option? What is it? Like through the ass?”

“You must be the new kids.”

They looked up to see a dark-skinned woman in pink scrubs smiling at them. “My name is Portia and I’ll be your teacher.” She turned to Glimmer and Marvel. “Back again?”

“Can’t keep her off of me,” Marvel replied and his wife elbowed him.

“Take care of these two,” Portia eyed Katniss and Peeta. “I think they’re going to need it.”

++++++

“So many options,” Katniss said as she began organizing her pamphlets after class.

“A bit of a Type-A, huh?” Glimmer remarked from her seat.

“I got into Johns Hopkins and we’re literally moving right after the baby is born,” she replied and sighed. “Organization is key.”

“Don’t stress out, babe,” Peeta said as he looked through his own set of pamphlets. “So what were you thinking of doing in terms of delivery?” he asked the other couple.

“We were thinking of having an at-home delivery with a midwife,” Marvel said as he sat on the edge of their table. “We can keep an eye on Ada and MJ that way and I work from home, so it works out.”

“What do you do?” Peeta asked.

“My degree is in Applied Mathematics, but I mostly work with engineering folks to construct the proper curves for things like roads or building structures and sometimes cool stuff like roller coasters. For the most part, I Skype with them.”

“His office is in our house,” Glimmer said. “I, on the other hand, have to go to an office every day. I’m in advertising for a social media website.”

“I’m surprised that you aren’t living in the Bay Area,” Peeta said.

“We both went to UC Berkeley but our families are here, so we were lucky to find jobs in the area. It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it.” Marvel kissed the top of his wife’s head. “You two just have to find your rhythm.”

“I’ll give you our number,” Glimmer said and took a business card out of her purse along with a pen. “If you have any questions, give us a call. Maybe you can come over to our place for dinner. Ada and MJ are tired of looking at us, too.” She handed the card to Katniss and then looked up at Marvel. “I think it’s time to head out. I could really go for a burger right now.”

“At your service.” Marvel helped his wife stand. “We’ll see you two next time.”

Glimmer stood and gave them a cheery smile. “Ta-ta!”

When they were finally alone, Katniss turned to Peeta. “Four kids, I don’t know how they can do it. We have enough issues with the one.”

“If they can do it, we can do it,” Peeta assured her and leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. “So, you said something about me getting it before class?”

Katniss saw his eyes darken and felt that heat grow between her legs. She took a deep breath to calm the ache inside her.

“First things first, can we just agree on one thing?”

“Of course,” Peeta replied.

“Definitely not a water birth.”

The class had gone over birthing options and had ended with a graphic video showing a water delivery.

“That image—“

Katniss nodded in agreement. “It was like she was blowing a bubble from her vagina! Do you think it’ll look like that when I give birth?”

“It’s going to be beautiful,” he told her. “Scary, but beautiful.”

++++++

Katniss folded the last of the onesies that Johanna had given her. They were hand-me-downs of Jenna’s, but all unisex in color. She looked at the simple white one and held it out. It was so small. Soon, there would be a baby that small in her arms.

The thought both scared and excited her.

There wasn’t much room left in her own drawers, so she opened the one that she had given to Peeta. He only left a few things like his razor, underwear, and some pajama pants at her place. She could probably fit a few, so she began to stack the folded ones next to his stuff.

It was when she reached the back that she felt it—a small, velvet box. Her stomach dropped as she realized what it could be.

Pulling it out, she closed the drawer and went to her bed.

It could be anything—a pair of earrings or a pendant.

Katniss knew she would be disappointed if it wasn’t a ring.

She never thought she wanted to get married, but it had become more than that--she wanted to be Peeta’s wife.

It didn’t matter whether they had a full blowout wedding or just a civil ceremony. It was the thought she would be his and he would be hers – always.

This baby had turned her into a sentimental fool.

“Just open it,” she told herself.

Lifting the lid, Katniss found a simple gold band with an empty four prong golden setting. Her eyes filled with tears knowing that he must have saved a shitload just to get the band.

Carefully, she pulled it out and placed it on her left ring finger. It fit perfectly.

“Katniss?” She heard the front door close and then Johanna was at her doorway staring at her admiring her left hand. “What the hell is that?”

“I found it in Peeta’s drawer,” she replied nervously.

“There’s no diamond in it,” Johanna remarked and Katniss glared at her, feeling suddenly defensive.

“He must have saved a lot just to get the band,” Katniss responded softly, her eyes still gazing at the ring on her finger.

“I think it’s perfect.” Johanna put a hand over hers. “And he really loves you, sweetie. So…are you going to say yes?”

Katniss could only grin.

++++++

“Peeta.”

He looked up from the counter and found his mother in front of him.

It had been three weeks since they’d seen her.

Since the dinner where Katniss basically let his mother have it, there had been no contact. The next day, his Dad had called and even talked to Katniss to make sure she was okay.

His brothers had come over right after the infamous dinner with a potpie for Katniss, which she gratefully accepted before bursting into tears and hugging them tightly.

His mother had been silent.

“Can we talk?”

He didn’t reply, but went around the counter so they could sit at the table by the window. It was ten minutes to closing anyway.

“What do you want to talk about?” he asked finally.

“I know you’re angry,” his mother said. “And you should be. I was disrespectful to both you and Katniss. I apologize.” She looked out the window. “It’s not easy to let go of your children, especially your youngest. I sometimes forget that you’re not eight and running to me with a scraped knee.”

“Mom…”

She turned and put her hand up so she could continue.

“I won’t lie and tell you that I’m not scared for you though,” she continued. “You’re taking on a lot and there will be a chance that you could fall.”

“Maybe I have to,” he replied.

“I know, and you won’t understand until the baby comes, but it’s a hard thing to watch.” She turned and Peeta saw the fear in her eyes. His mother wasn’t the easiest person to deal with, but when she loved someone, she loved them fiercely.

It reminded him a lot of Katniss.

“I understand that.” Peeta gave her a smile. “But it has to happen, because it will make Katniss and me stronger.”

His mother was silent before finally turning and nodding at him.

“You’re right,” she agreed carefully. “Your brother tells me that you’re going to propose to her.” Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a small box and placed it on the table between them. “This was your grandmother’s.”

Reaching forward, Peeta opened it to reveal a platinum band with a large square-cut diamond.

“For whenever you decide to give it to Katniss. She’s a good girl, Peeta, and she knows what she wants—and that’s you.”

He placed his hand over hers. “Thank you.”

++++++

Katniss sat up in bed, suddenly wide awake.

It couldn’t be, could it? Her hand went to her stomach; she had read that it could happen at this time but maybe it was indigestion.

“Peeta.” She shook the sleeping man next to her. “Wake up.”

His eyes opened slowly as he adjusted to the early morning light streaming through their room.

Peeta looked up at her and his hand went to her cheek. “Are you okay?”

“I felt something,” she told him and placed his hand on her abdomen. “Like bubbles or something.”

Peeta sat up, leaning back against her headboard. “I don’t think I’ll feel it, but it’s a nice present for you though.” Peeta kissed her quickly on the lips. “Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks.” They sat back with his hand on her belly as he hummed the birthday song into her ear. She closed her eyes, placing her head on his shoulder contentedly.

She felt another movement, stronger this time.

Peeta suddenly stiffened and looked over at her. “What the hell was that?” He looked at her belly. “The books say that I won’t feel anything until later!”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but books can sometimes be wrong,” she informed him with an amused smile. “I felt it too, you know.”

He took her face in his hands and planted a kiss on her lips, grinning as they slowly pulled away.

“That was amazing. Everything since I’ve met you has been amazing,” he breathed, their lips brushing once more.

Something changed in his eyes and Katniss felt her breathing go shallow.

“Peeta, are you okay?”

“I’m perfect,” he whispered. “Because it’s just us together—always.”

“Always,” Katniss repeated firmly and he suddenly placed a familiar velvet box in her hand. She looked down at it and then at him. “Where did you get this?”

“I had it inside my pillowcase the whole night.” He gave her a nervous smile. “Open it.”

She knew what she would find, but it didn’t stop the thrill of excitement from running though her.

Quickly, Katniss lifted the lid and her mouth dropped.

Inside was a platinum band with a large square-cut diamond.

“What’s wrong?” Peeta asked her. He saw her excitement at seeing the box but the light had immediately left her eyes once she saw the ring.

“It’s nothing,” she replied hurriedly.

It was something.

“You’re lying,” he replied and Katniss could tell that she had ruined the moment.

“This ring is beautiful,” she told him. “But this isn’t my ring.”

“I know. It was my grandmother’s, but we can sell it and get you another one if you want,” Peeta responded. “You should have the best because you deserve the best.”

Her eyes met his. “This isn’t what I want.” Moving slowly off the bed, she went to his drawer and reached into the far corner where she knew _her_ velvet box was hidden. “This is what I want.”

Peeta stood before her. “You saw this?” he asked and she could see the shame on his face, though there was no reason for it.

“I want the ring that you worked so hard to get,” Katniss said, meeting his eyes. “I want the one that made you feel good when you picked it out. This is the ring I will proudly wear.”

He lifted the lid and turned it for her to see.

Peeta looked into her eyes, ready to say everything he had practiced, but suddenly the words didn’t seem right at all.

Then again, since she had come into his life, when had they done anything right or by the book?

“Katniss, you changed my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Like I said, everything that’s happened since we’ve met has been amazing—and crazy. And yes, I know we’ve done a lot of things off the cuff, but at the end of the day, it just comes down to this—I love you. I’ll always love you.”

Peeta wrapped his free arm around her waist to pull her close. 

Pressing his mouth against her ear, he whispered, “Be my wife, Katniss Everdeen.”

A joyful sob erupted from her mouth and she shook her head in affirmation, her forehead falling against his shoulder.

Peeta took the ring and as his lips found hers, he slipped it onto her finger. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses on his jawline.

“So we’re doing this?”

He grinned down at her. “Yup, I’m all in.”

The knock on her door brought them both out of their bubble.

“It must be Johanna wishing me happy birthday. Let’s go tell her together.”

Walking to the front door, Katniss opened it quickly and was surprised to find not just Johanna, but Gale also standing at her doorstep.

They were both sporting frowns on their face.

Katniss stepped forward, looking at each of them. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s your Dad,” Gale told her. “He’s had a heart attack.”

* * *

 

Yeah, I’m a mean person.  A horrible person, actually.

This chapter starts at twenty weeks and ends at twenty-three weeks.

A lot is definitely is happening in this chapter and there is this progression that I like about the proposal just being an assurance that he’ll be there to an actual commitment that they want to spend their lives together as a couple—not just because of the baby.

So I love the Mellark brothers, they are just really adorable and I just love the image of Prim and Johanna being speechless at the sight of them.

On the opposite end, this version of Mrs. Mellark is still a difficult person for me to write.

Dependent on hospital, amount of stay, etc.—I’m ballparking around ten grand for the hospital birth, but I’ve had a friend who spent twice as much. She was out of the hospital pretty quickly, but this was in the Bay Area. It might vary from state to state and country to country.

Don’t you just love Marvel and Glimmer? They’re kind of that mentor couple that Katniss and Peeta will need in their lives. We will eventually meet Ada and MJ. In a few chapters, we’ll meet Francis and Ellie. Anyone want to guess where I got from Francis from? Ellie is because I’m currently obsessed with Ellie Goulding’s song “Burn”.

So around this time, pregnant women will usually feel the baby’s movement or “quickening”, though it varies. I’ve read that a lot of first time pregnancies won’t feel anything until much later.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on pregnancy forum boards, however, and many first timers are actually feeling strong fetal movements at around the same time as women who’ve had multiple pregnancies.

So I gave Katniss some baby movement for her birthday—and even one for Peeta, but it could’ve been indigestion he was feeling.

Next: Twenty-Three Weeks—a pick-up from this chapter and that’s all I’ll say.

Hellos, reviews, and feedback are always welcome on FF, AO3 and Tumblr.

Until Part Seven, JLaLa 


	7. Part Seven: Twenty-Three Weeks

Once again, thank you for all the support! Hope you’re enjoying so far!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, my most awesome beta, for her support!

One

Part Seven:  Twenty-Three Weeks

“MOM!” Katniss yelled, rushing toward her mother and Prim in the waiting room. She threw her arms around the older woman before examining the woman’s colorless face and watery eyes. “What happened?”

“I don’t know.” Her mother shrugged and her eyes filled. “We were having breakfast and he just went pale.” Laurel slowly sat back down in her chair. “I was so scared, Katniss—still am.”

“They’re doing some diagnostic tests right now,” Prim told her quietly as they embraced. Her younger sister looked like she had just scrambled out of bed, wearing a bright fuchsia hoodie and sweats, her hair in a sloppy bun. “We’ve been here for about thirty minutes.”

Turning when she heard the quick footsteps, Katniss spotted Peeta approaching them with concern in his eyes. He had dropped her off at the ER entrance so that she could meet her family and had gone to park the car. Their eyes met and she could see that he was trying to figure out how to comfort her.

He didn’t realize that just being there was enough for her.

Katniss usually pushed people away during situations like this. Maybe it was the doctor in her that would suddenly make her so clinical, but she didn’t want to be that way around him. She also knew herself well enough to know that she was often cold towards people. It bothered her now more than anything because she didn’t want her child seeing her that way.

“Laurel.” Peeta went to her mother. “Are you okay?” The older woman rose and he gently pulled her into his arms.

“I’m fine; nervous but fine,” she reassured him. “These are bad circumstances for all of us to reunite under.” Her mother suddenly turned to Katniss, eyes wide in realization. “Oh my God, honey…I didn’t even realize—Happy Birthday.”

Katniss’ eyes were suddenly full, but she shook her head and gave them an easy wave. “I-I’m fine—“ Soon she was crumbling, hormones and exhaustion taking over as Peeta’s arms wrapped around her.

“Baby…” He caressed her back, meeting her mother’s eyes worriedly. “…It’s going to be okay.”

“Mrs. Everdeen?”

They all turned to see a tall, mocha-skinned man wearing a white coat over his button down shirt and slacks. He gave them all a kind smile. “My name is Dr. Beetee Latier and I will be the surgeon during Mr. Everdeen’s bypass surgery. Please follow me.”

“So he’ll need surgery?” Laurel asked as they began to walk.

“There are blockages in two arteries,” he explained.

“Two that you’ve seen in the angiogram,” Katniss added as she approached him, wiping her eyes as she did. “Was this an actual myocardial infarction or angina? And will you be stopping his heart during the procedure?”

“You’re a doctor?” the man asked.

She shook her head. “Not yet.”

“It was angina,” the doctor continued. “However, the blockages are significant enough to draw concern that it could have caused a massive heart attack. We will stop his heart, of course, but use the CPB pump in the interim.”

“What’s that?” Prim asked as they made a turn down the hallway.

“It is a machine that will maintain blood flow and oxygen while the heart is stopped,” the man explained. They stopped suddenly in front of a closed door. “This is his room, and he has been given some medication for the pain.” The surgeon looked at them, seriousness in his eyes. “I would like to get him into surgery as soon as possible—the reason I waited this long was because I wanted to check the angiogram just to confirm my suspicions. I’ll give you a few minutes and we would like it to be family only.”

His eyes met Peeta’s.

“Peeta is my fiancé,” Katniss said quickly. 

Peeta’s face warmed seeing Prim’s eyes go wide. Laurel looked quickly at Katniss’ ring finger before beaming at the couple.

“No, it’s fine,” Peeta told her. “You go on ahead—I’ll wait here.” He looked at Laurel and Prim. “Did you need anything or did you want me to call anyone?”

“No, son,” Laurel said affectionately, her eyes watery again. “I think we’re fine.”

“I’m okay,” Prim replied before rushing over to throw her arms around him. “Congratulations.” She pulled away and gave him a small smile. “I was there from the beginning, big brother.”

“You were,” he agreed and looked over at the blushing Katniss. “Make sure that she’s okay in there.”

Prim nodded and went to her mother. Together, they opened the door and went inside.

Peeta went to Katniss. “Tell your Dad that I’m praying for him,” he told her as his arms encircled her waist to draw her close.

“Do you believe in prayer?” she asked softly.

“I believe in having hope,” Peeta replied. “Situations like this give you the opportunity to hope, you know.”

“I never thought about it that way.” Katniss met his lips with hers briefly. “Thank you for telling me that.”

“I guess that’s why you’re marrying me.”

Katniss grinned. “I guess so.” She looked over at the door and turned back to look at him somberly. “I should go in.”

“Go on,” he urged and she nodded before opening the door to go inside.

“Smart girl, you got there.” Peeta turned to look at Dr. Latier.

“She got into Johns Hopkins,” he responded proudly. “We’re supposed to leave right after the baby is born.”

“Looks like that’s coming up. Do you know if she applied to any schools here?”

Peeta shook his head. “Not that I know of,” he said.

“Shame,” the doctor remarked. “We’re a teaching hospital, too.” He looked at his watch. “I should begin my prep—a nurse should be coming in shortly to administer the last of the medications before surgery.”

“Thank you, Doctor—good luck.”

The man shook his hand and gave him a nod. “I’ve got hope on my side today.”

+++++

Katniss quietly closed the door behind her. She could hear the hushed tones of her mother speaking as she approached the curtain.

“I’ve already notified the staff at the store about your absence,” her mother said quietly. “Aiden will be the manager on call for now.”

Peeking in, she saw that her mother was sitting on one side of the bed as Prim stood by the window, her eyes focused on the machines connected to their father. The quiet beeps of the monitors broke through the heavy air every few seconds and Katniss felt her belly react.

Her hands went to her stomach—the baby didn’t like the noise.  Neither did she.

“You’ve grown.” Her Dad’s hoarse voice broke through her thoughts and he gave her a weak smile. “Hey, honey.”

“Hey, Dad.” Katniss’ eyes watered. “These are pretty shitty circumstances to reunite under.”

“Tell me about it,” he replied easily and held his hand out to her. “Come here.”  Her mother got up from her chair so that she could sit next to her father. Katniss took his hand and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I know.” She swiped her eyes quickly and sighed. “I just hate that we’ve been ignoring each other. There have been times when I just wanted to tell you something—and then I realized we weren’t speaking. It hurt to be reminded.”

“I know, sweetheart,” he replied. “I’m sorry—I was being stubborn. I just forgot that sometimes the plans we make can go astray—as you can see.” Her father gave her a sad smile. “But you’ve handled it well, you’ve flourished, and you fell in love, so I’m told.” He felt her finger where the empty prong ring rested. “He is saving for the diamond, isn’t he?”

Katniss nodded and he nodded back understandingly.

“That’s good. Both of you know how it feels to work hard for something you want; it will make you better together.”

“It has,” she said softly.

“And my grandbaby?”

“Moving—I just felt him or her this morning,” Katniss told him. Taking his hand, she let it settle on the swell. “It was the first time for me.”

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Her father looked up at her and Katniss sucked her tears back as she nodded. “I felt like that, the first time I saw you.”

“Dad—“she began. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. Nothing seemed right at all, so she just said what came to her. “—I love you. Just wake up as soon as you can.”

“Of course, Katniss,” he told her.

There was a knock on the door and a pretty nurse with dark, curly hair walked in swiftly holding a kidney shaped container.

“My name is Rue and I’m going to be your pre-op nurse. I’m here to administer your medications,” she informed Katniss’ father as she walked over to where the box of gloves hung on the wall.

After pulling a pair on, she walked over and placed the container on the side table. “I’m going to flush out your IV with some saline, and then I’ll be administering a pain medication, followed by one more saline flush. After our transport, I’ll be taking you to the operating room,” Rue continued as she took out the syringe from the tray along with the bottle of saline to fill it. “I’m going to give you a few minutes after I’m done. I’ll also write down my name along with extension number for you at the nurses’ station on the white board next to the door. But now I’m going to start your first saline flush.”

Her father nodded and then turned to Katniss. “Tell me how Peeta proposed.”

She looked over to where Rue was pushing the saline through his IV line slowly, then back at him. “Are you sure?”

Katniss watched her mother take her other father’s hand and her eyes caught the glint of their wedding rings. She had remembered looking at their wedding photos when she was little girl as she planned her own dream wedding to her teddy bear.

They had a simple outdoor wedding; her mother was barefoot during the ceremony and she wore a simple wreath of flowers on her head. Her father opted for a simple button down and slacks as well as a pair of loafers. They looked like polar opposites in the photo but here they were—still happy and very much in love.

“Go on, Katniss,” her mother urged, her eyes encouraging. Prim sat at the edge of their father’s bed and nodded at her, the shine of her tears swimming in her blue eyes.

She realized just how much they all needed to hear something good despite all the bad going on.

“It was just this morning,” she started. “I woke up because the baby started moving, so I woke Peeta up—“

Katniss paused, realizing that she had revealed that they were sharing a bed. On the other hand, she was pregnant—so obviously she and Peeta had clearly skipped the formalities of waiting.

“—He didn’t think that he would feel anything, but then it happened again and this time—he felt it,” she continued, a small smile emerging from her lips. “I found this ring in his drawer a few days ago, but the ring he tried to give me was a different one—his grandmother’s. It was beautiful, but I knew it wasn’t mine.” She looked down at her ring proudly. “I decided that this was my ring, so this is the one I asked to have—the one I asked him to propose to me with. So he did.”

“Good man,” her father remarked quietly as he gave her a drowsy smile. “Just remember that I get to walk you down the aisle.”

“Then you’d better walk out of here as soon as you’re okay,” Katniss told him with a watery smile.

Gabe nodded at her. “That’s a promise.”

++++++

“How is he?” Katniss rushed over as Peeta pulled her in, her head falling against his shoulder and lips brushing his neck.

“He’s in good spirits,” she told him, surrounding herself in his scent—a combination of sugar and sweat.  “I told him about our engagement and he promised to walk me down the aisle.”

“Sounds promising.”

Together, they went to where Mrs. Everdeen and Prim sat tiredly. The two women were clearly on the verge of falling asleep.

“Do you think we should go home?” Katniss asked. “It might be hours before we hear anything.”

“I don’t know,” her mother said worriedly. “I just don’t want him to be alone.”

“Mom, you need to rest,” Prim told her. “We have Rue’s number just in case.”

“She’s right, you know.” They looked up to see Rue walking over to them.  “I just wanted to give you my information again and the hours I will be here. I think with the way the schedule is planned, I will be Mr. Everdeen’s post-op nurse, too.” She held out a card for Mrs. Everdeen, gave one to Prim, and the last one to Katniss. “It will definitely be a while before you hear anything, so go home and get some rest.”

Her eyes flitted over to Katniss and Peeta and she smiled at them. “He was bragging to the transport team about his grandbaby.”

Peeta felt Katniss’s hand tighten around his. He could tell that she was desperately trying to hold it in.

“Thanks, Rue,” Katniss said shakily.

“I’ll contact you once they’re done.” With a final wave, she walked back through the double doors to the restricted area.

“I’ll drive Mom back to the house,” Prim told the couple. “Will you be following us over?”

Peeta nodded. “I want to show Katniss something before we leave.” He had already told his roommates to not expect him back tonight.

“We’ll see you at home,” Mrs.Everdeen told them. “I’ll set up Katniss’ room for you.”

Once her mother and Prim had left, Peeta ushered her over to the elevators.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her hand resting on her belly. The doors to the elevator opened and they walked in quickly. Katniss watched him push the button to the fourth floor and she looked over at him. A small smile played on his lips. “You’re up to something.”

He looked over at her with bright eyes. “Me? Never.”

The doors opened and taking her hand, Peeta led her over to where a series of window were.

“Take a look,” he told her.

Through the windows, Katniss saw the series of glass cribs where the newborns were kept. It was river of pink and blues in front of her.

“One day, we’re going to have one of these.” Her voice was hushed in disbelief. She looked down at her stomach. “This is one of _those_ —just not fully baked.”

Peeta chuckled and kissed the side of her head. “They’re all pretty cute. Well, except for one or two of them.”

Katniss swatted his arm. “All babies are supposed to be beautiful.” Her eyes caught one of the babies spitting up. “Okay, maybe not.”

“Spit-up baby judges you,” Peeta retorted with a grin before looking over at the window again. “Most of them have the same birthday as you.”

She turned to him amused. “Oh, yeah?”

His arms wrapped around her waist, and he began to sway them back and forth.

“Happy birthday to you…” he sang quietly into her ear as she leaned back against him. “Happy birthday to you…happy birthday dear Katniss—and new babies…happy birthday to you…”

++++++

Katniss opened her eyes, feeling Peeta sigh into her neck in his sleep. It had been a tight squeeze in her bed, so they had settled into a comfortable slumber spooning against one another the night before.

He had fallen asleep quickly with his hand resting protectively on her stomach, but she had been restless. Her mind remained on the surgery before she fell asleep at around midnight; her birthday had come and gone. The good thing was that their night had gone uninterrupted, which meant that there were probably no issues with the surgery.

She knew Rue would have called if anything had happened, even if it had been the middle of the night. There was something inside that told her to trust the young nurse.

She pressed against Peeta and he groaned in his sleep, pulling her tighter to him. Katniss gasped, feeling her lower half tighten into that pleasurable coil and she couldn’t help but push her bottom against the morning erection that Peeta was sporting.

“This is definitely a good way to wake up.” She turned her head to find Peeta grinning tiredly at her. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” she said and kissed him softly. “Did you sleep well?”

“Maybe we should get a smaller bed—I like the tighter fit,” he joked.

“I’m only going to get bigger, you know,” she warned softly. “Give it a few weeks and you’ll change your mind.” Katniss took his hand and unconsciously pressed her lips to his fingers.

Peeta hissed quietly, his eyes trained on the woman in front of him. “What are you doing?”

She straddled him carefully, her eyes almost rolling back at the sensation. “Haven’t you ever had a fantasy of messing around in your girlfriend’s old bed?” 

The craving to have him had only grown over the past week and came at random times. Two days ago, Katniss had spent an entire dinner just staring at his neck wanting to put her mouth to it, just to taste his skin.

“What guy hasn’t?” he replied as he guided her hips, letting her press her damp core against his hardness. “Should we really be doing this? I almost feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

Katniss shook her head, her core throbbing. “I promise that you’re not,” she told him in a rushed voice. “I have a million hormones running through my body and it _was_ my birthday—“  

“Since it was your birthday…” Peeta’s hand moved to undo the top buttons of her pajama top and reached in to caress a full breast—a benefit she was beginning to appreciate. Not to mention with the amount of blood coursing through her, every touch was like electricity and her body hummed in gratitude.

_RING!_

“FUCK!” Katniss reached for her phone and looked at it irritatingly. “It’s Johanna.” She promptly ignored it--

_RING!_

This time it was Peeta’s phone and he looked over at it. “It’s Sae. I told her about your Dad.”

Then the knock came on her door. “Katniss?” It was her Mom.

She moved off of him and he groaned at the loss of contact.

“I owe you,” Peeta told her as he picked up his phone.

Walking to the door, she turned to him with a smile. “Over and over and over again...” Opening the door, Katniss met her mother’s joyful eyes.

“I just got a call from Rue,” her mother told her excitedly. “The surgery went well and he’s in recovery.”

“Thank God—we’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

Pulling the door open, Katniss and her mother embraced as Peeta spoke quietly on his phone.

“Hey, Katniss?”

“Yeah, Mom?”

“You realize that your top is unbuttoned, right?”

++++++

“Hey, friends.”

Peeta looked at the rows of cribs in front of him. He understood that Katniss and her family needed privacy, so after they had gone to see Mr. Everdeen in his room, he found himself wandering back up to the maternity ward.

He spotted some familiar ones. The ‘spit-up’ baby was still there but snoozing away. Next were the newbies, or the ones lined up in the first row—and they were the tiniest, of course.

The one in front of him was a little girl, five pounds and eight ounces, and she yawned before opening her blue eyes, trying to focus.

“Now don’t try stealing one, Peeta.” He turned to find Effie grinning at him in bright blue robes, her hair in a paper net. “Just arrange a tour of the place.”

“Hey, Effie!” He reached over to give her a hug. “I didn’t know that you worked in this hospital.”

“Just one of the three that I work in,” Effie replied easily as she took the net off her head to reveal her messy ponytail. “What are you doing here?”

“Katniss’ dad had bypass surgery,” he informed her. “His room is two floors down and since I’m not family yet, I’m just hanging out.”

Effie’s face fell hearing his news. “I’m so sorry—I’ll be sure to keep a look out for her Dad. And poor Katniss, I know that they were fighting—make sure that she’s getting a lot of rest.“

“Thanks, Effie. I definitely will.” He was appreciative of her concern and they went back to looking at the babies in contemplative silence.

“Wait…” She looked at him again. “You said ‘yet’. What do you mean by that?”

Peeta blushed. “I proposed to Katniss on her birthday—and she said yes.”

The older woman squealed and threw her arms around him. “Congratulations!”

“Hands off my girl!” As Effie pulled away, Peeta turned to see Haymitch walking over to them. “Hey there, godson.”

Peeta gave him a look of mock seriousness. “Thanks for telling me that you’re dating our obstetrician.”

Haymitch returned the look. “Thanks for telling me that you got engaged.”

“Don’t tease, sweetheart,” Effie admonished the man next to her. “Katniss’ Dad just had surgery. That’s why Peeta is here.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Haymitch responded. “How’s Katniss?”

“She’s doing her best to remain optimistic,” he replied honestly. “Surgery went well and they’re all downstairs.”

“So what the hell are you doing up here?” Haymitch glanced over at Effie as he put an arm around her. “He’s not trying to steal a baby, is he?”

“Very funny,” Peeta told him. He looked between the couple. “So really—you’re dating? Or is this something else?”

Effie pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. “And what do you mean by that?”

“You know, like a late-night-I’m-feeling-kind-of-lonely thing?”

She crossed her arms under her chest and raised her eyebrows. “Like a booty call—with Haymitch?”

He held his hands up in surrender. “Forget it—I just don’t want to hear the words ‘booty call’ and ‘Haymitch’ in the same sentence ever again.”

“I’m not the one trying to make it that way,” Haymitch argued. “I keep on proposing and she keeps saying no!”

“Peeta!” He turned to see Katniss rushing towards him. She looked over at window. “Hi babies.” Then she looked at the couple, her eyes widening. “Hey Effie…and Haymitch. Yeah—that’s weird.”

Turning to Peeta, she gave him a quick kiss. “My Mom is wondering if you want to come down to my Dad’s room since they’ve moved him from recovery.”

“Really?” He looked at her in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Rue gave her the okay. Plus, you’re family now, according to her,” she told him with a smile. “Well—you will be.” Katniss happily held up her hand, displaying her ring.

“What happened to your grandmother’s ring?” Haymitch asked suddenly.

Katniss turned to him, her eyes challenging. “I didn’t want that one.”

“It’s probably best that you don’t argue with her,” Effie told him, then looked over at her patient worriedly. “Katniss, you’ve read about preeclampsia, right?”

“Of course,” she responded, somewhat irritated. “High-blood pressure that can cause pre-term labor thus endangering me and the baby—I know that.” Effie was suddenly on her knees and reaching to touch Katniss’ ankles. “What are you doing?”

“Slight but normal swelling,” Effie mumbled. “Katniss, please come see me next week—just to double check on your blood pressure.”

“Okay, but please, get away from down there!”

Effie looked up, her eyes serious. “Trust me, I’ve been in much more awkward positions.”

++++++

They held hands anxiously as they walked down the hallway to her father’s room.

 Peeta was nervous—and for several reasons.

One being that his last encounter with Gabe Everdeen had not been a good one; the memory of the man’s words to him brought up his own feelings of insecurity. He knew that he was not good enough for Katniss, but it had still hurt to hear.

Another reason was that Peeta had never been around anyone who had been this sick. His own family was healthy as far as he knew. He honestly had no idea how Laurel kept it together, or how Prim and Katniss kept themselves in check.

He reminded himself to make sure there was no additional stress on Katniss’ part; he wanted to be strong for her.

At the moment, however, he felt the weakest that he had ever felt.

“Hey, Katniss?”

She turned to him as they stood in front of the door. “Yes?”

“Are you okay?” he suddenly asked.

Katniss thought for a moment before looking at him. “I don’t really know,” she answered honestly. “It seems like we’ve been on this long emotional rollercoaster. I’m happy and sad at the same time—is that possible?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he told her. “I don’t know how to feel myself.”

“At least we’re in agreement about that.” Katniss gave his hand a squeeze. “Let’s go.”

Inside, they found Laurel sitting next to the bed. Prim sat on the other side and she turned, giving the couple a small smile. Rue was writing notes on the tray table in the corner; she gave them a quick nod before going back to work.

Prim stood up quickly to join them. “They’re slowly weaning him off the anesthesia,” she told Peeta. “We’ve been communicating through hand squeezing. He’s groggy, but he understands.”

“Honey,” Laurel said to her husband. “Katniss has come back with Peeta—just like you asked.”

Peeta looked over at her. “Mr. Everdeen asked for me?”

“Before surgery,” Rue informed them from where she stood and gave him a smile. “He said that he wanted to look into the eyes of the man who would be taking his daughter away from him—in the most non-threatening voice, I might add.”

“You’d be doing him a favor,” Prim said jokingly and gave her sister an adoring smile as she put an arm around her. “I mean—look at her—blech!” she jokingly grimaced. “All pregnant and glowing…”

Peeta kissed Katniss’ hand before letting go, and walked over to sit in the seat that Prim once occupied.

He couldn’t lie—the machines scared him. Peeta felt himself falter at hearing the beeps of the heart monitor as well as the hissing of the oxygen that was flowing through the mask across Gabe’s mouth. Peeta looked down for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts.

When he looked back up, Peeta found Gabe gazing at him.

“Hello, sir,” he greeted him. “I guess we’ll have to hold off on the old-fashions from now on.” Peeta swore that he saw a small flicker of a smile on the man’s face. “As you can see, Katniss is as beautiful as ever—being pregnant only added to it. That’s not the reason why I love her so much.”

Peeta looked over at his fiancée, who stood listening to him with Prim before continuing. “Obviously, we know she’s smart, but she’s also strong—Katniss knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to let people know. A few weeks ago—she really gave it to my Mom. And that’s not an easy feat.” He smiled at the man. “I know that she is going to be incredible mother because she cares so much. She takes care of me—and I’m a better man because of it.”

He took a deep breath. “I would like to ask your permission to marry your daughter,” he said to the man. “Because I am madly in love with her.”

The two stared at one another for a moment. He knew that once Gabe was okay, they would have a real talk, but for now he just wanted to let the man know that he was trying to be the best person for Katniss—and the best father for his grandchild.

Then Peeta saw it--the small, almost imperceptible nod of consent from the man and he let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you.”

++++++

Katniss closed the bedroom door behind her. They were spending another night at the Everdeen house, and in her tiny bed. Peeta sat against the headboard leafing through the baby book that had been on her bedside table.

At the click of the door, he looked up and gave her a small smile. “Are you okay?”

She nodded as she walked over to the bed before sitting next to him. “I’m better. Thank you.”

“For what?”

She took the book from his hands and placed it back on the table. “For what you said to my Dad—it meant a lot to me.” Katniss placed a hand on her stomach. “To us.”

“I meant every word,” he told her simply. “You are all those things and more, Katniss.”

Her chin trembled, and Peeta reached over to lift it, revealing the tears in her eyes. “Am I?”

“Yes, I’m not a liar—I just need you to believe in yourself and to believe in us.”

“I do.” Katniss crawled onto the bed, straddling him as she did. “Sometimes, it’s scary to think about the way our lives have ended up. I never thought that I would be a mother…or engaged…or even in love.” She met his eyes. “But here I am and I have no idea what the hell I was doing before then.”

Katniss wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly, coaxing out his tongue to move languidly against hers. Her hands moved down to the hem of his shirt and she pulled it off quickly, her mouth suddenly on his neck to suck on his soft skin.

His mouth went to her ear and the vibration of his voice caused a spike of pleasure to hit her. She groaned at the way his voice deepened whenever he wanted her badly.

She met his eyes shyly. “I’m not good with words, so I think I’ll just show you how I feel.”

Peeta didn’t need to go any further in asking before she began slowly undoing her shirt. Pushing it off her shoulders, Katniss revealed her nude form—her full breasts with the darkened, hard nipples and the smooth, full stomach that held their child.

Her mouth met his again and Peeta felt himself under the spell of her kiss—so teasing, always making him want more to the point of begging. She had no idea of her power, her effect over him. He found his head sinking into the pillow as her hands went to his wrists, entrapping them. Her clothed pelvis ran over his hard member and Peeta arched up at the sensation.

“Oh God…” There was something in the air, every touch seemed heightened, and each kiss made him want more—the heat was between them unbearable. “What are you doing to me?”

“Making love to you,” she whispered as she bit his ear. “Isn’t it obvious?” One of her hands began to push off his pajama bottoms and he arched up to help her along. “Eager, are we?”

“How can I not be? Look at you—you’re beautiful.”

“No—we’re beautiful.” She managed to push his pants and briefs off completely with a single hand. Now she was using the lone hand to take off her cotton panties. “Me and you and him or her—we’re beautiful.”

Katniss took him in her hand, guiding him to her soaking core before slowly sinking onto his aching cock.

His eyes widened at the sensation. There was something different about this time. It might have been the way she restrained him, her hands holding his wrists so that his arms were over his head. Or even the slow, sensual move of her hips as moved at a painfully slow but achingly pleasurable pace.

Or maybe it was the way she couldn’t keep herself from staring into his eyes.

Katniss couldn’t stop herself from looking at him as they made love—she wanted to memorize every look, promising herself to catalogue every move that made him moan a certain way; the way that made her ache somewhere deep inside.

“I love you,” she whispered as she gazed down him and he pushed up pleadingly. Her core began to ache as he hit that secret spot inside of her. “I love you,” Peeta moaned, his hips starting to move at a frantic pace. She felt her climax approaching; Katniss pushed down as his hips plunged up, her forehead pressing against his. “I love you…”

Peeta let out a desperate groan as he came. She watched him—the way his mouth twisted in the offset-circle as he cried out her name and how his pupils dilated as he filled her, his hips pushing up harshly. It was enough to have her coming suddenly, her insides squeezing his cock repeatedly as her orgasm took over her body.

She could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears as they began to come down from their high, ready to fall from the after-effects of their lovemaking. His hand found its way to her bare back as she moved off of him and curled up against him, enjoying the slow movement.

This time was definitely different.

It was her promise to him—her own vow that she would love him that way for the rest of their lives: quietly yet powerfully and always unrestrained.

++++++

They were surprised to find Haymitch waiting for them when they got to the hospital entrance. He seemed nervous, his hands in his pockets as he approached the family.

“Haymitch? Back again?” Katniss gave him a bright smile. “I know you’re in love with Effie but this is laying it on pretty thick.”

He gave her grim smile. “If only the stubborn woman would listen to me—“ Haymitch looked over to Laurel and Prim, giving them each a friendly nod before walking over to shake their hands. “I’m Haymitch Abernathy—Peeta’s godfather.”

Laurel smiled as she took his hand. “I’m Laurel Everdeen. We’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Abernathy— “

“—Haymitch, please. We’re practically family now.” He shook Prim’s hand and then looked over at Katniss before smiling at the blonde. “Primrose, right?” The girl nodded. “You look nothing like her.”

Prim gave her sister a teasing smile. “Thank God—those dark, mysterious looks only cause men to fall to their knees.”

“Or at least one man to fall to his knees,” the man quipped, laughter in his voice.

“So you want to tell us why you’re here?” Peeta asked, exasperated.

“Let’s go to the waiting room on Mr. Everdeen’s floor first.” Haymitch led them all in, and he looked over at the couple. “Now don’t be mad.”

“You’re freaking us out,” Peeta told the man as he took Katniss’ hand. “Remember what Effie said about stressing Katniss out—“

“Hello!” Effie rushed over to them and looked over at Haymitch. “Did you tell them?”

“Tell us what?” Katniss asked as they reached the elevators. “One of you better say something.”

The ding of the elevator door sounded and Haymitch ushered the group in. When the doors closed, he turned to them.

“I didn’t mean to do it,” Haymitch informed them suddenly. “It had been a long night—” He turned to Peeta. “—And you know that when your mother wants to know something…“

Peeta winced, realizing what Haymitch was telling him. “You didn’t.”

Katniss went over to the older man, her grey eyes blazing. “You’re so lucky that you’re in a hospital right now…”

“Honey, calm down,” Laurel said calmly. “So he told Peeta’s family, it’s not a big deal—“

“The thing is Laurel—they’re here.” Haymitch fidgeted. “They’re in the upstairs waiting room, actually.”

“Does that mean Cal and Will are here, too?” Prim asked, her cheeks suddenly turning crimson. Haymitch nodded and she began to look through her purse. “Of all the days to not wear any makeup—“

“Priorities, please!” Katniss exclaimed before looking at Haymitch. “Why would you tell them to come?”

“I didn’t!” Haymitch argued. “But Anna gets that look her eyes like she is going to rip your beating heart out from your chest!” Katniss glared at him. “It’s similar to the way you’re looking at me right now.”

“Don’t kill him,” Effie said. “It takes too long to break another one in—” She looked over at Prim. “Are his brothers as hot as Johanna tells me?”

“Oh, good God, _yes_ ,” Prim purred. “You practically need a cigarette after looking at them.”

“Gross,” Peeta responded. He took a calming breath, trying to get a handle on the situation. Finally, he turned to Laurel. “First, I’m sorry that this was sprung on you. I know this isn’t an easy thing to be doing at the moment—”

“It’s okay, son.” Laurel laughed and touched his cheek affectionately. “I remember having to do this with Gabe’s family.”

Peeta turned to Katniss. “I promise to try and make this go as smoothly as possible.”

She nodded seriously. “I will try not to lose my temper, but no one mentions anything about baby showers or my engagement ring.” The door suddenly opened and Katniss turned to Haymitch, her feet halfway out the door. “Remind me to punch you in the nuts later.”

“Is she really going to punch me in the nuts?” he asked Laurel.

She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Probably. Gird your loins, Haymitch.”

Peeta joined hands with Katniss as they turned the corner and spotted his parents, along with Cal and Will, sitting in the waiting room.

The Mellarks stood up anxiously as they approached them.

Behind her, Katniss could hear her sister sighing along with Effie at seeing the Mellark brothers.

Will winked as Cal stuck his tongue out at her, trying to ease her obvious tension and she tightened her hold on Peeta’s hand.

The Everdeens and the Mellarks were finally meeting.

* * *

 

This chapter starts at twenty-three weeks and ends at the twenty-fourth week of Katniss’ pregnancy.

This has been a bit of a more serious chapter, but I did want to showcase this couple really trying to stick together through this tough situation.

The surgery is a real eye-opener for everyone.  We’ll definitely get a less groggy Mr. Everdeen next chapter.

If you’re wondering how I know about bypass surgeries, it is because my Mom actually had a double bypass surgery when I was about Katniss’ age and I was in charge of all medical decisions. I also got to know a lot of nurses in the ICU, not to mention my Mom was one, so I know a lot of ins and outs of hospital life both before and after surgery.

Preeclampsia occurs when there is a high amount of protein in the urine, which can essentially cause high-blood pressure. Of course, this is never good in any case and can cause pre-term labor. A symptom is abnormal swelling in the ankles, face, eyelids, etc.

A little bit of Hayffie in there for you—as you can clearly see, Effie holds the reins in this relationship.

Greetings, reviews, and feedback are always welcome on Tumblr, FF, and AO3!

Next:  Twenty-Five Weeks—the meeting of the Everdeens and Mellarks continues, Mr. Everdeen’s recovery, an Effie appointment, and wedding plans?

Until then, JLaLa


	8. Part Eight: Twenty-Five Weeks

Thank you for your follows, favorites and reviews – they’re all appreciated! I try to answer as much as I can but if you have any pressing questions, feel free to message me personally.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you once again to my beta, Chelzie, for her hard work!

One

Part Eight: Twenty-Five Weeks

“Giddy-up, darling,” Effie instructed Katniss after closing the door to the examination room. “How’s everything going?”

“Oh, you know—Hell on earth,” Katniss grumbled as she used the step of the exam table to get onto it. “Our families are driving us crazy, you know. I blame _your_ man—he’s the cause of all my stress.”

“No,” Effie replied. “Hold your arm up.” Tightly wrapping a blood pressure cuff around Katniss’ upper arm, Effie took the stethoscope from around her neck and placed the diaphragm of it under the cuff. “I believe it was _your_ man who did this to you, proposed to you, and caused all of your stress.” She gestured to Katniss’ belly with her head. “My man just can’t shut his damn mouth.”

Katniss smiled slyly at her. “Since when did you start calling Haymitch your man?”

“Since you kicked him in the nuts, and he needed me to prove to him that he was still a man,” her doctor responded with a grin. “Now, relax so I can get a reading.”

She nodded before taking a deep breath so Effie could take her blood pressure.

Her mind went over the last few days that left both her and Peeta feeling exhausted. He had intended to come to the appointment, but he was wiped out from working at Sae’s the night before; a mistake in an order from a frequent customer caused him to work overtime to make an additional four cakes for four different occasions.

He was now dead asleep at his house where she would be meeting him afterwards to update him on her progress.

“145 over 80,” Effie informed her with a frown. “It’s a little high for my liking, but not exactly abnormal given what you’re going through. As we get to the twenty-eighth week, I’ll want to see you twice a month, which is normal. If this reading doesn’t improve, we’ll have to see each other more. As much as I love seeing that sunny face of yours—” she paused, trying to hide her smile at Katniss’ deadpanned expression. “We definitely don’t want that. Now lay back so we can take a look at this lovely baby.”

Effie lowered the lights before she returned to Katniss and seated herself next to the ultrasound machine.

“I understand,” Katniss agreed. “Just keep in mind I might strangle someone by twenty-eight weeks, so you’ll have to visit me in jail.”

“Your situation is not so bad. I mean, your families seem to be getting along,” Effie said as she grabbed the bottle of gel next to the machine. “Pull the gown up a bit.” Katniss exposed her smooth, blooming belly so that her doctor could apply the gel to use the wand. “According to Haymitch, they’re all bosom buddies.”

“Yes, they’re getting along _too_ well.” Katniss laid her head against the pillow behind her. “Our mothers have made it their goal to make sure that Peeta and I are married before we leave. Our fathers spend most of their time playing poker in my dad’s hospital room to avoid the discussion. Prim, along with Will and Cal, have supposedly found me the perfect Vera Wang wedding gown—not white, for obvious reasons—to wear once I’ve dropped all the baby weight.”

“That’s ludicrous.” Effie’s eyes remained on the screen as she spoke.

“I know! Getting married right after the baby is born is crazy!”

“No, those three thinking that you’re going to fit into a Vera Wang after dropping this little one is,” Effie replied. “Sorry, sweetheart. It’ll be about six months post-baby —and that’s if your metabolism is good—before you’ll fit into that gown.”

“Being with Haymitch has turned you into a cruel bitch.”

“I know you don’t mean that,” the woman said in a sing-song voice as she continued to look at the screen. “Baby has gained some fat, which is appropriate at this point in the pregnancy.” Katniss looked at the screen to see her baby’s profile, the little mouth slightly moving and her baby’s heartbeat fluttering rapidly. “Once he or she is out, the skin will be smooth.  Heart rate is perfect and your child seems highly unaffected by its hormonal mother, who is a smidge away from losing it.”

“Haha, Effie,” Katniss said. “They’ve started sending bridal magazines to my apartment. Also, our mothers have told Jenna to start practicing to be my flower girl.”

“Oh darn, I was really hoping to get that job!” Effie gave her a light smile and patted her hand.

Katniss huffed as she glared at the woman. “Just print the damn photos, Effie.”

++++++

Peeta had given her a set of keys, so Katniss let herself into the house. As she closed the front door, Katniss looked down at the sonogram photos that she held in her hands and smiled. Effie had told her that the texture and color of the baby’s hair were now evident at this point. Her obstetrician had a feeling that baby would be a brunette and something inside her leapt at knowing her child might have her dark locks.

In a world surrounded by sunny-headed people besides her father, it was nice to know that there would be a possible third person to join their team.

“So do you think I’d be a summer or winter bride?”

Katniss looked up to find Finnick and Annie sitting in the living room, each flipping through bridal magazines. A stack of more magazines sat on the coffee table in front of them.

She stomped towards them. “Damnit, they’ve gotten to you, too!”

Annie looked up at her with a confused smile. “Oh, I thought they got sent here by mistake!” She turned to Finnick. “I think you’re more of a summer bride.”

“According to this quiz, I’m not,” Finnick declared before taking the pencil that was tucked behind his ear and erasing his markings in the magazine. “This is a bullshit quiz—” He looked up at Katniss, his eyes bloodshot. “Oh hey, Katniss, didn’t know you were here.”

“I’ve been here for at least five minutes—and I was just talking to Annie.” She looked over to see the smoke coming from the ashtray on the side table next to him. “Never mind. Put that out, won’t you?”

“Of course, little mother,” he declared affectionately as he stood up. “I’m going to get rid of this and then make you an avocado smoothie, okay?” Finnick kissed her on the cheek and patted her belly. “By the way, I think you’re more of a winter bride.”

Katniss rolled her eyes. “Don’t start. It had better be an actual avocado smoothie, too!”

He raised his hand in defense. “Okay…okay…” Finnick gave her an unabashed grin. “Peeta is still asleep, I think.”

“Thanks.” She looked over at Annie, who was perusing _InStyle Bride_ , before turning back to Finnick. “By the way, she looks like more of autumn bride, don’t you think?”

“One day, she will be.” Finnick looked over at Annie, his eyes steady for a moment before they reverted back to their slightly buzzed state. “I’d better get rid of this offensive thing and get started on that drink for you.”

“Thanks.” Katniss smiled at him and then turned to Annie. “You can have the magazines.”

Annie smiled up at her. “Oh good, now I can make paper dolls!”

Katniss contemplated replying, but instead just nodded in agreement and headed to Peeta’s room.

She could hear his snores as she got closer. When she opened the door, Katniss found him shirtless and asleep on his stomach, head turned to side with his mouth hanging open. Looking over at him for a moment from the doorway, she could see the prominent, dark circles under his eyes and his hair was mussed as if he’d been running his hands through it constantly—a sign of stress.

Closing the door softly behind her, she picked up the clothes that he had tossed onto the floor from the night before and put them in the hamper next to his closet. Quietly, she headed to him and sat down on the edge of his mattress next to his prone form. Katniss felt a pang of sympathy for him; it hadn’t been an easy week for either of them, but he had extra work added on to his load.

Her hands reached for his hair and Katniss found herself toying with the blond tendrils as she ran her fingers through his scalp. It was still unreal to see how far they had come in only such a short amount of time.

Did it scare her? Yes, definitely.

However, the thought of spending her life running her hand through Peeta’s hair didn’t. Neither did the thought of holding their baby one day.

“You looked lost in a good thought.” Katniss looked down to see Peeta’s sleepy smile. “Good morning.”

She leaned down to kiss him. “Good afternoon,” she corrected as she pulled away. “How did it go?”

“The cakes were done at four and as soon as Sae got there, she shooed me away,” he replied hoarsely.

Peeta scooted over on the bed to make room for her and she happily laid down, turning to the side as she did. He did the same so that they could continue their conversation. His hand found her belly and caressed it affectionately.

“Hello, baby,” he said to her protruding stomach and then looked up at her. “How’s our little one?”

“Gaining fat,” she replied and then reached into the pocket of the navy tank dress Johanna had made for her to give him the sonogram photos. “Healthy, thankfully, and totally oblivious to the crazy surrounding him or her.”

“You saw the magazines?”

“Who wouldn’t see them?” She rubbed her lower back. “Also, Effie recommended that I lie on my side for now because the lack of circulation is what’s causing the back pain—we’ll have to get a bigger bed now.”

Peeta grinned. “I’m all for getting a bigger bed.”

She pressed her hand against his chest gently and smiled back. “I guess there are some benefits to this.”

“I think the baby is a pretty good benefit.”

“Tell me that while I’m pushing him or her out of my vagina,” she said as she watched him look through the photos. “Effie said that the hair color has developed, as well as the texture of the baby’s hair. I think it’s going to be a brunette.”

Peeta met her eyes and smiled. “For your sake, I hope we have a brunette, too.” He tugged on the side braid that she put her hair in that morning.

“Glad you’re on my side,” she said as she moved closer to the center of the bed towards him. “I’m exhausted.”

“By the way, your mother called and said that your Dad has been moved out of the ICU,” Peeta informed her as he continued flipping through the sonogram photos. “She wants all of us to go to the hospital tomorrow and help move his things.”

“Fine with me.” Katniss laid her head on his arm and looked into his clear blue eyes. “Is this really happening?”

“What?”

“All of this? The baby? This wedding—“

“When that happens is up to us and no one else,” Peeta told her firmly. “You’re the one who always tells me to not fold under pressure.”

“I’m tired,” she argued. “Between working with Cinna, helping Johanna with Jenna and going to the hospital—this is all too much, Peeta.” Katniss found her eyes watering and she hastily wiped her eyes before giving him a trembling smile. “These hormones are a bitch!”

“Come here.” Peeta pulled her as close as her belly would allow. “This is you and me—together. You just have to remember that. They can pull us in different directions, but we just have to hold on tight.” He took her hand. “I love you, and that’s what this is all about.”

Katniss smiled softly and brushed his lips against hers. “Don’t forget about our little melon.” She put her free hand on her stomach. “It scares me to feel him or her kick, but in a good way, I guess.”

“A good way, huh?” Peeta’s hand joined hers and he scooted down to place his lips on her belly. “You going to give me a kick, little one? Daddy’s here—after baking four three-tiered cakes. But as busy as I am, I’m always going to have time to teach you how to make cookies or bake Mommy’s favorite cake.” He looked up at her. “What is your favorite cake, by the way?”

“Anything with a lot of fruit in it,” she told him. “I like strawberries the most.”

_“Let me take you down, cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields_   
_Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about_   
_Strawberry Fields forever…”_

She smiled listening to his soft voice.  “My Dad has that record.”

Katniss ran a hand through his hair as he sang against her belly. Her eyelids began to feel heavy and she found herself succumbing to the soothing tone of Peeta’s voice vibrating against her as their baby fluttered in her belly.

It didn’t feel so scary this time around.

++++++

“Looks like you’re getting a lot better at this,” Katniss said as she walked down the hospital hallway with her father, their arms linked. “Have you been practicing without me?”

“Of course,” Gabe responded with a smile. “I have to practice walking so I can get you down that aisle, right? At least that’s what your mother and Anna keep telling me.”

“Nags,” she grumbled and her father chuckled. It was good to hear him laugh—he was progressing more and getting better every day, which hopefully meant that he would be released soon. “Anyway, did I show you the latest sonogram photo?”

“I don’t believe so, and you know how I like to know every little detail about my grandbaby,” her father replied. “I’ve even tried bugging Haymitch into telling me the sex, but the man refuses. He insists that it’s for my own good—even when I promised him the bottle of my best scotch.”

“You’re not going to be drinking any of that stuff anyway.” Katniss reached into her cardigan pocket and took out the photos. “Here is your copy—Effie said that the hair color and texture are already evident. I think it’s going to be a brunette.”

“I’m sure of it,” her Dad responded.

“How’s everything going?” Katniss turned to see Dr. Latier heading toward them with a broad smile. “Looking good, Gabe.”

“Thanks, Beetee,” Gabe responded as the man caught up with them. “Katniss was just telling me about my grandbaby.”

“Any luck on finding out what the baby is?” the doctor asked curiously.

“No, I think I’m going about this all wrong,” her father remarked and then met the doctor’s eyes. “Do you think Effie would tell you?”

“That’s breaching doctor-patient confidentiality,” Beetee replied, his eyes laughing. “Maybe I can get a hint out of her, though Dr. Trinket is a stickler for following the rules.”

“Just enjoy the waiting part, Dad,” Katniss told him. “Let’s just hope that we can get someone on our team.”

Dr. Latier looked at her. “Your team?”

“Team Brunette,” she responded and held out her fist which her father bumped in unity. “We’re overrun now because of Peeta’s family.”

“Well, consider me part of your team,” Beetee said with a nod.

“Alright, Beetee!” Her father held his fist out to the other man, which they bumped together.

“I believe this is your stop,” the doctor informed them as they stopped in front of her father’s room. “Gabe, could I talk to Katniss for a moment?”

“Sure.” Her father turned to her. “I think I can manage from here.”

Katniss nodded but watched her father go in before turning to the doctor. “What can I do for you?”

“Your father was telling me about your plans, as well as everything you’ve been doing so far. I also happened to come across your MCAT scores and I was impressed.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s not too late to apply to our program, you know,” the doctor informed her. “We’re a fairly new teaching hospital, but I think we run a good program. You’ll get a little more time after having the baby—and you’ll be near family.”

His offer was tempting and Katniss couldn’t help but contemplate it. However, Johns Hopkins was what she had been working for. She had a plan, and they always worked for her. But this development was definitely something to consider and talk to Peeta about.

“Give me time,” she finally said to him. “It’s a lot to process.”

Beetee nodded with an easy smile. “Of course, take your time. I’ll come in to check in on your father in about an hour. See you soon.”

She smiled back before turning and heading into the room.

Inside, Katniss found a circus.

Her father had been given a large private room—she was sure that her mother had something to do with it. Laurel knew many people on the hospital board, since she had been a business consultant years ago. Many of the board members ran businesses in Katniss’ hometown and her mother had assisted in helping them open.

She found Rue with her father, who was in his bed, as she took his vital signs. Peeta’s father sat in the adjacent chair, flipping through the channels of the television in front of her father’s bed. Richard and Gabe were baseball fans and would watch a game if they found one on television. Her mother and Anna were putting covers on Gabe’s pillows as they talked. She could also see the stack of bridal magazines in the corner of the room.

In the far corner, Cal, Will, Prim, and Haymitch sat at a round table, caught up in a poker game using candy as their cash.

Katniss felt a brush of lips against her cheek and turned to see Peeta grinning at her. Her arms found their way around his neck and she kissed him quickly in greeting.

“Hey there now,” Rue said, smiling at them. “Isn’t that how you got into your situation in the first place?”

“No, I think it was too many Lemon Drops that got them into that situation,” Prim replied as she looked through her cards.

“Interesting,” Rue replied. “I never saw Katniss as being much of a drinker.”

“Obviously. Woman can’t hold her drinks!”

“Damn, Katniss, you got burned!” Cal called out before blowing her a kiss.

“Oh, fuck off,” Peeta responded in defense.

“Peeta, this is a grown-ups room,” Haymitch told him with a grin. “Curb yourself, boy!”

“Says the man who is hooking up with our obstetrician...” Peeta smirked as everyone turned their eyes to his godfather.

“Haymitch, I thought this was someone that you were serious about,” Anna said disapprovingly.

“Yes, and Effie is a very nice woman,” Katniss’ mother responded, trying to keep her lips from forming a smile. “What kind of example are you setting for your godson?”

“I-I-I—DAMN YOU, PEETA!” His godfather jumped from his seat and went over to Peeta. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“Well, you’re supposed to defend me when they get on my case!”

Haymitch grumbled before quickly socking Peeta in the arm.

“Don’t punch my fiancé!” Katniss punched the man back without a thought.

Haymitch looked between the two incredulously. “You two belong together! You’re both insane!” He quickly walked out of the room before any further harassment could occur.

“Thanks for defending me,” Peeta told her.

“That’s what we do,” she replied, her eyes never wandering away from his. “We take care of each other.”

Their lips met again—not caring that they were still surrounded by their family.

“Seriously, guys,” Will called out. “Get a room!”

++++++

Katniss’ father was released a week later, much to everyone’s relief. It would be a long road to recovery and although her father wouldn’t be running the store for a while, he had still made better progress than anyone anticipated. Peeta’s parents had taken on the task of helping Katniss’ mother with preparing the house for Gabe’s return.

Anna had gone grocery shopping for Katniss’ mother when Dr. Latier recommended a diet change for Gabe. Richard, along with Haymitch, created a makeshift work area in the living room so that Katniss’ father could still communicate with the store via Skype chat or e-mail without having to go upstairs. Will and Cal handled the internet connection between the two places.

Katniss and Peeta marveled at how their families seemed to find themselves so easily interconnected. Peeta took it with a grain of salt, but Katniss was still suspicious.

The wedding talk had died down since her father’s release. She and Peeta went back to their usual routine of work and preparing for the baby. Johanna and Prim dragged her to a yoga class for pregnant women, which she complained about before and after the class.

A few days later, however, she and Peeta realized the benefits of her being flexible.

“So what do you think about lavender?”

Katniss shook herself out of her thoughts and glanced up to see her mother looking at her. “What?”

It had been a week since Gabe’s release and her family, along with the Mellarks, held a family dinner at the Everdeen home to celebrate. Her mother sat by her father, who was at the head of the table. Peeta’s mother and father sat across from her and Peeta, while her soon-to-be brothers were seated at the end of the table.

“Lavender,” her mother repeated. “For the bridesmaids’ dresses.” Behind Laurel, Prim, who was carrying a bowl of mashed potatoes to the table, met her eyes as she shook her head desperately.

“No,” Katniss told her and looked over at Peeta. “I thought we weren’t talking about this anymore.”

“Come on, Katniss,” Anna urged from where she sat across from the couple. “You really can’t leave us without being married. We all want to share this with you. Your mother and I have it all handled. In fact, take a look at this!”

She handed Peeta a brochure and he opened it, revealing a beautiful seaside hotel on top of a cliff.

“Really, Mom? A hotel in Malibu?” Peeta closed the brochure and handed it back to her. “That isn’t us at all.”

“But they have a date available next month!” His mother argued and then turned to Katniss. “Don’t you want a great wedding and to have your father walk you down the aisle? We’re not asking you to do anything but be there. You two are only making it harder on yourselves.”

She felt her eyes burn as every pair of eyes bared down on them. Maybe it was the exhaustion that had taken over, but Katniss let the words fall from her lips.

“Fine,” she declared, her voice thick with exasperation. “Do whatever you want—it was going to happen anyway.”

Anna nodded in agreement and turned to her mother excitedly. Her father looked over at Richard before meeting her eyes and she looked down quickly, not wanting to see his reaction.

“Can I talk to you?” Katniss turned to see Peeta glaring at her. “Upstairs?”

She peered at him for a moment before nodding. “Sure.” They stood up and Peeta threw his napkin onto to his unfinished plate.

She could hear Prim mutter to Will and Cal, “Damn… Peeta’s pissed.”

Katniss trudged upstairs and she heard Peeta behind her, his heavy, angry stomping against the stairs. They walked down the hallway and she opened the door to her room, closing the door after Peeta entered.

Once the door was shut, he turned to her. “What the hell was that?”

She crossed her arms as she looked over at Peeta. “What the hell was what?”

“You let them take over,” Peeta told her. “We’re supposed to be in this together so you can’t just agree without discussing things with me. A Malibu hotel? Lavender bridesmaids’ dresses? Come on! This is all a fucking joke!”

“Excuse me for trying to get them off our backs,” she argued. “Do you think this is easy on me, trying to fend them off? And why is this whole thing such a big deal? We’re going to get married anyway. Might as well make them happy and just give them the wedding they want because they will never get off our backs about it.”

“You really don’t get it, do you?” Peeta shouted into the tense air, his eyes full of cold fury. “Goddammit, Katniss!”

“DON’T YELL AT ME!” The prickling sensation of tears hit her eyes. “I’M JUST TRYING TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY!”

“Not everyone.” They stared at one another for a moment before Peeta sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Just do whatever you want.”

Ripping open the door, Peeta walked out and slammed the door behind him.

++++++

The knock on the door drew Katniss’ eyes away from her cell phone. She had been trying to convince herself to not call Peeta or check for a new text for the millionth time.

“Come in,” she called out and the door opened slowly to reveal her father with his walking cane.

He still tired easily from simple activities and would be going to therapy to get back to his once healthy self. Her eyes filled thinking about the one session of physical therapy that she had viewed. Katniss hated to see her father wheezing from just walking around the room as the physical therapist assisted him.

She remembered when she was a child and he could easily carry her on his shoulders. Katniss could tell that he hated feeling weak as much as she hated seeing it.

Jumping up quickly, Katniss went to him. “Dad, are you okay?”

Gabe gave her a smile as he walked in slowly. “I was about to ask you the same question,” he replied. “Help me out, won’t you?” She nodded as she took his free arm and they walked to her bed.

Making sure that her father was comfortably seated, Katniss sat next to him and gave him a small smile. “What’s up?”

He placed his hand over the one she had rested against her mattress. “Are you okay?”

Katniss met his eyes for a moment, knowing that denying it would be pointless. Her father always knew when she was lying.

She shook her head. “No, course not. I don’t understand what Peeta wants. I thought he wanted to get married.”

“Of course he does,” her father assured her. “There has to be a reason why he’s so upset, because he doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would easily fold under the pressure.”

“Peeta isn’t,” she told him. “He’s wonderful—so I don’t understand. Isn’t this what we wanted?” Katniss let the tears fall. In front of her father, she could be weak and it felt okay. She could only hope that one day her child would feel open enough to be the same way with her.

Her father looked into her eyes before speaking again, “Katniss, can I ask you a question?” She nodded. “Why do you want to marry Peeta?”

“Because I can be myself around him, and I trust him,” she began. “Because he makes me laugh and at the same time, he can drive me crazy—most of the time in a good way.” The smile faded but her eyes glowed as she continued. “Because I can be weak around Peeta, and he won’t judge me. He’ll only let me rest against him.” She met her father’s eyes. “Because I’m in love with him and I want to spend my life with him, which I never thought was possible.”

“Have you told him any of this?” her father asked.

Katniss shook her head and smiled. “Peeta doesn’t need me to tell him this,” she explained. “He already knows how I feel.”

Her father frowned. “No, Katniss. Maybe he doesn’t know why you want to marry him,” he replied. “Maybe he doesn’t know that the real reason you are marrying him is because you love him. You need to tell him that because he’s not a mind reader.”

“I never said he was—”

“No, but sometimes people need to know that it isn’t because ‘it will happen anyway’, but because they are loved and wanted.”

The realization hit her like lightning and she met her father’s eyes. “I’m a fucking idiot, aren’t I?”

“I wouldn’t use those exact words,” her father replied carefully. “You’ve always had a harder time reading people. You have to remove the doctor’s mask once you leave work, sweetheart. Don’t bring your job into your relationship because after that it infiltrates into other parts of your life.” His eyes went to her belly and she found herself caressing the baby bump before meeting his eyes again. She didn’t want that for the baby—it was one of her biggest worries. “Don’t let that happen, okay?”

She nodded quickly and stood up. “I need to go.”

Her father reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Take my car.”

++++++

Katniss left her keys at her parents’ house, so this time she knocked on the front door. It only took a moment for it to open, and she found herself looking at Thresh, who sighed and widened the door for her to come in.

“Where is he?” she asked as she walked inside.

“In his room, listening to sad boy music,” Thresh responded as he closed the door.

“Sad boy music?”

“You know—songs that only use an acoustic guitar, and the musician sounds like he’s swallowed rocks to make his voice low and gravelly.”

They walked past the living room and she waved to Annie, who was cutting pictures from the wedding magazines that Katniss had given her. Finnick sat on the couch watching her as Cato sat in the recliner sipping on a Corona.

“Hey, Katniss,” Annie greeted with a smile. “Come here.”

Katniss approached her and looked down at the scattered photos. Some of them were piled into a box next to her while others were scattered on the floor.

“What’s going on?” Katniss asked curiously.

“I finally figured it out.” Annie rummaged through the box and began arranging the different styles of dresses around. She sorted through the other photos that were lying on the floor before settling on one. “There you go—what do you think?”

Katniss looked down at the arrangement of magazine clippings that Annie had created. It was a cream, flutter-sleeved wrap top with a long, silk A-line skirt that ended with a small train on the bottom. The model head that Annie had used was one featuring a girl with Katniss’ coloring whose dark hair was arranged in a large, low bun held with a jeweled clip. The look was finished by a bird cage veil that reached below her eyes.

It was simple and pretty, but comfortable. It was her.

“It’s perfect, Annie,” Katniss breathed in amazement. “Will you save that for me?”

“Of course,” the girl responded and looked up at Finnick. “What do you think?”

“You have the eye, baby doll,” her boyfriend said affectionately.

“Now let me show you the ideas I have for our wedding.”

Finnick’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I would _love_ to see that,” Cato responded enthusiastically, much to Finnick’s chagrin. Thresh also nodded in overenthusiastic agreement from the archway of the living room.

“I’m going to go to Peeta’s room,” Katniss informed them, though everyone was already engrossed in Finnick and Annie’s ‘pretend’ wedding.

Going into the hallway, she could hear the gentle sounds of an acoustic guitar. He really was listening to sad boy music. She knocked on the door, and after a moment opened it, peeking her head in as she did.

Katniss found him sitting on the bed, a sketchpad in one hand and a pencil in the other. “Hey.”

Peeta looked up at her, his eyes pained. “Hi.” He placed the sketchpad next to him. “What are you doing here?”

“I came here because I forgot to tell you something,” she said as she walked in and closed the door.

She could see him swallow nervously, his Adam’s apple bobbing as she approached him. “What?”

“I love you.” Katniss sat down next to him. “And you never have to marry me, but you should you know how I feel. I should show you every day.” She wiped her suddenly wet eyes. “I’m so sorry, Peeta. I never meant to hurt you. I abandoned you—I abandoned _us_ at a critical moment instead of holding on like you said we should.”

Peeta looked down at the carpet for a moment and she felt her heart clench, dreading how he might respond.

Finally, he looked up and took her hand. “I just don’t want to lose us in the process,” he finally told her. “There are going to be a lot more obstacles hitting us once we get to Johns Hopkins. If we can’t deal now, what will we do when we’re finally alone with the baby and in a whole new place? We can’t fall apart—if we did, then I would fall apart, because you and our child are my whole life now.”

“You’re right,” she agreed softly, tightening her hold on his hand. “It doesn’t matter if we get married a month from now, a year from now, or even tomorrow. Or if we ever get married at all. Our family is what is important.”

Peeta put an arm around her and kissed the side of her head. “I still want to marry you, you know.”

She turned to him, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. “I can’t imagine why.”

“Maybe it’s for the thrill of calling you Mrs. Mellark.”

“There’s already a Mrs. Mellark.” Katniss laid her head on his shoulder.

“But you’ll be _my_ Mrs. Mellark.” His eyes met hers. “Next month, huh? So are we really going to let this wedding happen?”

Katniss shrugged. “I have no idea.” She sighed, feeling somewhat disheartened. “I have no idea about anything anymore.”

Peeta was alarmed to hear the heaviness in her voice, and he turned to her, surprised to find tears rolling down her cheeks.

“This is more than the wedding,” he said as he watched her somber expression. “There’s something else, isn’t there? What’s going on?”

“Peeta,” she started, her voice shaking. “I don’t think I want to go to Johns Hopkins anymore.”

* * *

 

This chapter begins at twenty-five weeks and ends at thirty weeks.

At this point, the baby’s hair color and texture are identifiable, but can still change. I do hope that Katniss and her father get a third on their team, though.

Uterus expansion causes pressure on the veins going to the heart and can also cause dizziness. Katniss is getting a bit uncomfortable as she gets bigger, so they will have to get that bed.

“Strawberry Fields Forever” is sung by The Beatles.

Yes, I know that the mothers are a little enthusiastic, but they do have the best intentions in mind. It’s just that dynamic that happens before weddings, magnified due to time constraints.

So what do you think of Katniss’ last words?

Thank you for reading; I appreciate your love for the story!

Greetings, feedback and reviews are always welcome on Tumblr, AO3 and FF.

Next: Thirty Weeks– an important decision to be made, and the return of Glimmer and Marvel.

Until then, JLaLa


	9. Part Nine: Thirty Weeks

I know…I know…you can totally kick me in groin for not updating. I finished ‘Again’ and am now free to work on my other stories—such as this bad boy and ‘Tides’.

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, my beta, for her endless hard work.

One

Part Nine: Thirty-Weeks

“Peeta,” she started, her voice shaking. “I don’t think I want to go to Johns Hopkins anymore.”

“What is this all about?” Peeta lifted her chin to see tears rolling down her pretty face. “Katniss, talk to me.”

Her hands fidgeted in her lap as she spoke to him in a trembling voice. “Our whole lives are here…and our family…and friends. How can we just leave them all? And the baby—I don’t want our child to see his or her family as those strangers who live across the country! And Beetee offered me a spot in their teaching program—“

“No.” Peeta shook his head firmly. “You need to do this, Katniss. You need to go to John Hopkins.”

“Why should I?” She sniffed back her tears. “It’s going to be hard to raise a family and go to school—we can get help here. I think this plan is better than my previous one.”

“That’s why,” he replied. “Because before me and the little one—you had a plan and you’re not the kind of person who doesn’t follow through.” He squeezed her hand gently. “And even though it will be hard and sounds scary, maybe we need a little bit of scariness in our lives.”

“Isn’t having a baby scary enough?” she asked and he chuckled softly.

Peeta kissed her forehead. “You’re so strong, Katniss, and so brave. I know it will all be okay, I know it. You need this chance—no, _we_ need this chance to grow up.”

Katniss nodded before suddenly bursting into tears.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Peeta said as he pulled her into his arms. Together they laid down and she moved closer to him, resting her head in the crook of his arm. “It’s okay for you to be scared. Sometimes, I forget that it’s okay to show that I’m scared, too.”

“Showing your weaknesses just gives people the chance to hurt you,” Katniss said quietly against him. “I don’t want my child to see me or our families that way.”

“Without weakness, there would be no compassion,” Peeta replied. “And of all things, we should teach our baby that.”

She looked up at him and chuckled quietly. “When did you get so smart?”

“Somewhere in-between your hormones and my work shifts.”

Katniss knew deep down that he was right. As hard as it would be to do all of this—to leave their families, to live in a new place, and to raise a child—she knew that it was what she needed to do.

What _they_ needed to do.

She took a deep breath. “You’re right. It’s going to be fine and our families are just a plane ride away.”

Peeta nodded and they both settled into a peaceful silence, though something told him that this wasn’t going to be the last time this subject would come up.

At the sounds of rushing footsteps, they both sat up and Finnick suddenly burst into their room, magazines in his arms and his sea-green eyes panicked. Annie followed him inside, along with Cato and Thresh, both smirking at their roommate’s agitated expression.

“Peeta, Katniss! You have to be on my side!” He looked over at his girlfriend and his roommates. “TELL THEM THAT I’M NOT HAVING A ‘GONE WITH THE WIND’ THEMED WEDDING!”

++++++

“Whoa!”

Peeta looked up at the two-story mansion before looking over at his wide-eyed fiancée. “You got that right.”

“I can’t believe that Glimmer and Marvel own this house,” she said as she looked around at the manicured lawn and stone walkway leading to the columned front porch. “And aren’t they younger than us?”

“Just by a year or two,” Peeta told her.

Truthfully, he was feeling a little bad about himself in comparison to the ever so calm and collected couple.

Glimmer and Marvel invited them over after last week’s parenting lesson where they all learned about baby bundling. It was then followed by a relay where each couple had to bundle as many dolls as they could in three minutes.

Glimmer and Marvel bundled twelve dolls. He and Katniss bundled two.

“God, I would hate them,” Katniss muttered as they reached the front door. “If I didn’t think they were so cool.”

Peeta chuckled. “Become a doctor and we can buy two houses. I’ll be your trophy husband.”

Katniss let out a snort as she pushed the doorbell. “You wish.”

From behind the door, there came a high-pitched scream followed by the scurrying of footsteps and a crash.

Then there was silence – and it was too late for them to run away.

The door opened and Marvel appeared before them.

“Hot damn,” Katniss whispered under her breath.

Peeta looked over at her, trying not to feel the small burn of jealousy. Although he didn’t have the six-pack abs that their friend was currently displaying for his drooling fiancée, there were other things that he did have.

They just weren’t coming to mind at the moment.

“Hey guys! Come in!” Marvel said with a gracious smile. “Sorry for coming to the door like this. MJ got excited when the doorbell rang and threw a whole bowl of Spaghetti-O’s at me.”

“Oh no,” Katniss replied as they entered, her cheeks scarlet. “It’s perfectly alright.”

Marvel excused himself to change, telling them that Glimmer was on her way down.

Taking Peeta’s hand, Katniss led him into the marbled floor entryway as her lips went to his ear. “I know what you’re thinking. I was just admiring the male physique.”

“You never look at my physique like that,” he replied with a pout.

She looked over at him and smirked. “Trust me, I look. I can demonstrate exactly where later.”

Peeta felt his face flush at the thought.

“Our honored guests!”

They looked up to see Glimmer walking gracefully down their staircase, wearing a rose colored dress elegantly displaying all of her pregnant glory. She was holding the hand of a little girl with wavy gold hair and big ocean blue eyes. The little girl smiled happily at them.

“It’s so great to see you two outside of the class,” she told them as she kissed them both on the cheek. Glimmer then led the little girl in-between them. “This is Ada. Ada, this is Miss Katniss and this is Mr. Peeta. Say hello, sweetie.”

“Hello,” Ada greeted them shyly and then looked at Katniss’ swollen belly. “You’re having a baby like Mommy.”

Katniss nodded, enchanted by the soft-spoken girl. “I am.”

“Can I babysit for you?” Ada asked.

“When you’re older, I’m sure that our baby would love to have you as a babysitter,” Katniss replied softly.

Ada, content with the answer, took Katniss’ hand and led her out of the entranceway. Peeta watched them, his insides warming at the sight of his fiancée with the little girl. He could imagine her just like that in the future—walking side by side with their child, chatting easily.

“I think our Ada has taken a liking to Katniss.” He looked over at Glimmer who was grinning at him. “They’re very sweet together.” She took his arm and linked it through hers. “How are you both doing?”

“We’re good,” he replied as they walked into the large, pastel colored living room. “Had a bit of a scare two weeks ago—Katniss was considering not going to Johns Hopkins.”

“It’s understandable,” their friend said. “It’s hard to have to leave a comfortable life. Marvel and I worried a lot about whether or not we could move down. We were so settled in the Bay Area, but it’s just how things work out.”

“Drinks, anyone?” Marvel appeared with a tray, and thankfully, with a shirt on. “Non-alcoholic for the preggos, of course.”

Katniss was already sitting on the soft yellow couch with Ada, so Peeta joined her. Taking a glass from the tray, he handed it to Katniss, who gave him a grateful smile.

“Where’s MJ?” Glimmer asked Marvel as she sat on the chair adjacent to them.

“I have no idea,” her husband replied, though he pointed behind the couch.

“That’s too bad since we made those Nutella cookies,” his wife said in a slightly louder voice.

Peeta could hear the giggle behind them so he stood up quietly. Pressing his index finger to his lips, he began to make his way around the couch. Ada clapped her hands to her mouth to hide her laugh and as he looked over at Katniss, he winked.

Behind the couch, he saw the small boy with light sandy hair crouched down—his back to Peeta.

Reaching down, he quickly swoop the boy up in his arms and the little one let out a high pitched laugh at being discovered. Peeta swung him up and down as MJ straightened his arms out as if he was Superman.

“WE’RE GOING DOWN!” He spun them around before safely falling between Ada and Katniss who were laughing at the two.

The little boy turned and scrambled up to sit on Peeta’s lap. He grinned brightly up at him.

“You funny,” MJ proclaimed in a cheery voice and then cocked his head. “Who are you?”

“My name is Peeta,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you, MJ.”

“Do you want to play with my Legos?”

“Baby,” Glimmer said. “We’re going to have dinner, so you and Mr. Peeta will have to play later, okay?”

“Okay,” MJ and Peeta chorused together.

Katniss laughed. “You two even pouted at the same time.” Peeta grinned before kissing her cheek.

“Who is that?” MJ asked curiously as he watched Peeta pull away.

“That is Miss Katniss, Mr. Peeta’s wife,” Marvel told his son. He looked at them with a smile. “Makes things easier to explain.”

“In a few weeks, it will be the truth,” Katniss said as she took another sip of the cucumber water that Peeta had given her.

“Congratulations! When are you getting married?” Glimmer asked with an excited smile.

“As soon as I find a dress that fits my huge self and we find a place that doesn’t make me barf.”

They had agreed after their fight that, truth be told, they did want to get married. However, they also agreed that it should be on their terms. So the following weekend at the family dinner, this time at the Mellark home, they had talked to their families about what they wanted.

The first thing was that they would push the wedding back so he and Katniss had a little more breathing room to make decisions. Then together, they assigned tasks for everyone.

The couple would be in charge of their clothing and where they would get married.  Anna and Laurel would be in charge of decorating as well as food. Gabe and Richard would handle music and layout for the ceremony.

Will and Cal put themselves in charge of the after-party and had dragged Gale along for the ride. Johanna and Prim, who were both very into craft-making, would be in charge of creating the accessories and were already in the middle of creating Katniss’ birdcage veil.

“You’ll look wonderful,” Glimmer assured her. “Though I’m sure that you’ll want to have the ceremony before you get any more uncomfortable.” She placed her hand on her large belly. “There’s going to be a point when you stand up and feel gravity taking you down.”

“I’m already starting to feel like that,” Katniss said and took another sip of water, her hand going to her chest.

 “Heartburn?” Marvel asked and she nodded. “Try sitting up when you sleep. Glimmer had that with MJ but not with Ada. The twins seem to be pretty tame, too.”

“So you were a troublemaker even in your Mama’s tummy?” Peeta teased his little friend.

“I’m no troublemaker!” MJ responded, though his smile said otherwise.

“You’re the cutest,” Katniss told the little boy. “Do you want to be our ring bearer?”

“NO!” MJ shook his head. “I’m gonna marry you!”

“HEY!” Peeta gave the boy a good-natured smile. “I’m going to marry her!”

MJ stared him in the eye for a moment. “Well, okay, but can I marry your baby?”

He met Katniss’ laughing eyes and she nodded. “Only if you’re our ring bearer and Ada is one of our flower girls.”

Ada turned to her parents as she bounced in her seat. “Mommy, Daddy—can we, please?”

Marvel, who was sitting on the armrest of Glimmer’s fluffy chair, looked over at his wife. “What do you think?”

“If you agree to go to bed early for the rest of the month with no arguments, then yes,” their mother said and the kids let out screams of delight. She looked over at the couple and grinned. “Negotiation is key when it comes to parenting.”

“You two just made their month,” Marvel added. “And they love you.”

“These are two great kids,” Peeta said to the man.

“Do you want them?”

“Maybe one of them,” he countered jokingly as MJ poked at his chin. “Though this one seems like a lot of trouble.” He reached out to tickle the little boy.

Maybe his child would be as playful—he would have to ask Katniss how she was as a child.

Marvel smiled good-naturedly. “We’ll negotiate.”

++++++

“You’re a lifesaver,” Glimmer said to Peeta later that evening. “We can never get MJ to eat his dinner.”

“I think it helps that your son has a little bit of hero-worship for this guy,” Katniss told her as they walked down the hallway of the upper floor.

They had just put the children to bed after dinner had finished. Marvel was downstairs cleaning up and had insisted that his wife take them on a tour of the house.

It had been more like touring a palace.

Peeta was pretty sure that he’d worked off his whole dinner by the time they reached the children’s playroom.

“That is true,” Glimmer mused. “But Ada loved the song that you sang to her, Katniss. You have a beautiful singing voice.”

“She does, doesn’t she?” Peeta said as he grinned at a blushing Katniss. “Every time she sings, the baby calms down.”

As the baby grew, he or she seemed to be dead-set on letting them know that they were around. Katniss would often feel the kicks of the little one at night, so she would sing to the little ninja in her belly to soothe him or her to sleep. Sometimes Peeta would join in, though he preferred to rest his head close to her stomach to feel the movement.

It was the best time of night for both of them.

“Here it is!” Glimmer opened the door to another room and led the two in. “Ta-da!”

They looked inside to see a simple room with a king-sized bed with towels at the end of it.

Peeta entered the room with the two women. “It’s nice,” he replied as he sat on the bed. He touched the sheet of the mattress. “This seems a little uncomfortable, doesn’t it?”

“It’s a rubber sheet,” Glimmer replied trying not to laugh. “This is going to be my birthing room.”

“OH!” Peeta jumped up from the bed, his face flaming. “So that’s where…”

“Yes, that is where the love of my life will deliver our twins,” Marvel said as he joined them in the room. He put an arm around Glimmer. “I thought you were going to wait for me.”

The woman eyed her husband. “I did,” she said through her teeth.

“What’s going on?” Katniss asked as she went to Peeta, who was still staring at the bed. “You okay?”

He nodded, trying to shake the image of what was going to happen on it.

“We were wondering,” Glimmer began. “If we could put you on our phone tree—for when I deliver.”

“Our families live about three hours away from here, so they won’t be able to come on such short notice,” Marvel continued.

“And we both really think that you are such great people—and our friends,” Glimmer said with tears in her eyes. “I think we’ve all really bonded in class and everything. So what do you think?”

Peeta could feel his head shaking in a ‘NO’ already.

“OF COURSE!” Katniss was hugging Glimmer, already in tears over her friend’s impassioned words.

Those damn hormones.

++++++

“Why did you say yes?” Peeta asked later that night as they sat in their new bed. It was their first big purchase since he and Katniss had found out they were having a baby.

“I don’t know!” Katniss replied as she looked over at him. “Glimmer looked like she was going to start crying if I said no, and it was so sweet of them to ask—“

She bit her lip and he almost groaned at the motion. Peeta couldn’t say no to her when she did that.

“—and the kids like us! So it wouldn’t be so bad if we went.” She looked over at him. “You’re listening to me, aren’t you?”

Peeta nodded, though his eyes remained on her full bottom lip.

A light knock sounded on their door and they looked up as it opened. Annie peeked in and gave them a small smile.

“We’re all going out to the club that opened last week and were going to ask if you wanted to come—“ Her eyes suddenly zeroed in on Katniss who wearing a sleeveless white nightgown with a square-line opening.  “WOW, your breasts are huge!” Annie joined them on their bed. “It’s so not fair! I’ve been drinking these protein shakes that are supposed to help these itty-bitty things, but NOTHING!”

Katniss gave her friend a pointed stare. “Protein shakes, Annie?”

“There might’ve been a little something else in there, too…”  Annie said nonchalantly. She clapped her hands together. “Well, it looks like you two are going to bed, so maybe next time?” The couple nodded and their petite friend walked quickly to the door, muttering to herself, “No wonder they always want to stay home…”

The door clicked shut behind her and Katniss turned to him. “It’s happened. We’re officially lame.”

“What are you talking about?”

 “We’re alienating our friends—we don’t go clubbing anymore,” she told him. “I haven’t seen my sister or Johanna in ages—and I live with Johanna!”

“First off, I’m not sure you’d want to go somewhere where you couldn’t drink,” he argued. “Also, I’m not sure if I want a bunch of guys looking at you with those!” Peeta eyed her full chest. “Plus, you’re going to see Johanna and Prim next weekend.”

“To shop for a wedding dress—with your mother and mine, and Gale’s and Johanna’s…”

“So what if we’re lame—I like to stay home with you!” Peeta suddenly said. “I love to kiss you and your belly and sing dumb songs to the baby! If that’s what makes me lame, then fine!” He crossed his arms. “Sometimes I have no idea what the fuck is going through your—”

Peeta was cut off when Katniss suddenly pressed her mouth to his. He gasped as her tongue plunged into his mouth and she swirled it against his own. His groin tightened at the motion and he moaned as their bodies pressed into one another.

As suddenly as she had kissed him, Katniss pulled away. She was gasping for breath and the fire in her eyes only caused the spark kindling in him to burn hotter. He didn’t know if she realized just how sexy she looked, her chest heaving and her cheeks scarlet.

“That is about the sweetest argument I’ve heard for reasons to be lame,” she said to him, her voice low. Katniss’ hand went to the top button of her nightgown. “Annie said they wereall going, right?”

Peeta nodded as he watched her hand toy with her buttons.

“Yes,” he replied tightly. “Every single one of them.”

“That’s also something that hasn’t happened for a long time,” Katniss informed him.

Slowly, she pulled the gown over her head, leaving herself naked in front of him. Peeta took in her full breasts and rich skin before his eyes went to her belly which held their child.

Beautiful. There was no other way to describe her.

And he craved her badly.

“What?”

“Us—alone in a house, not having to worry about one of your roommates busting in here, or that Johanna and Gale might come knocking. It’s just me and you.” She sat back and gave him a smile. “Didn’t I say that I would demonstrate what parts of your male physique I admired?”

++++++

“Katniss?”

She turned to find Johanna presenting her with a silver, one-shoulder empire dress. “What do you think?”

“Uh, fine,” Katniss replied as she looked through the array of other dresses in the bridal shop located a few blocks away from Johanna’s house.

Behind her, she could hear the chatter of the four older women sitting at the table having coffee. It seemed that Anna had found her place with the other mothers. She had also been a little less rigid when it came to the wedding plans, much to Katniss’ relief.

“Where the hell are you?” Prim said as she held a soft pink knee-length dress to her body and looked in the mirror in front of her. “You’ve been distracted.”

“She’s probably thinking about whatever she was doing with Peeta last weekend.”

Everyone turned to look at Annie, who just walked out of the dressing room in a tight gold dress.

Katniss had asked her to be one of her bridesmaids two weeks before. She had responded by giving her a kiss—on the lips.

In front of Peeta, Finnick, and the other two boys, not that any of them complained. Katniss left that whole encounter unsure if her friend had accepted.

The room went silent and Katniss began to flip faster through the dresses.

“I don’t think anyone needs to hear that, Annie,” she said nervously.

“Yes, we do!” Prim replied from where she stood. Katniss turned to glare at her sister and Prim batted her eyelashes sweetly at her.

“It will do everyone good to know that you and Peeta have very healthy and regular relations. It’s good for stress and it’s a workout,” Annie said in an airy voice. “I read it in your latest baby book. Finnick and I sometimes sit in your room and read over them because you have so many!”

She turned to her glazed-eyed friend. “Annie, I thought we talked about this.”

“You live with our son and his friends?” Anna suddenly asked, her eyes wide.

“Yeah, most of the time,” her friend responded cheerily. “I mostly hang out in the living room and cut out paper dolls with the magazines that you send over.” Annie turned back to Katniss, her eyes innocent. “We don’t look around anymore like I promised, but one time I did knock down the stack of your books, and one of them went under your bed. What do you do with the handcuffs?”

Somewhere to her left, Johanna was laughing.

She turned to look at the group of women who practically raised her, plus her soon-to-be-mother-in-law. Angelica and Hazelle looked amused, her mother was bright red though Katniss could see a hint of a smile and Anna looked like she was thinking of ways to torture her and Peeta.

“Let’s just keep looking for dresses, okay Annie?” Her face was probably beet red at this point.

Her friend nodded with a distracted smile. “Okay!” Annie suddenly turned to the table of women. “Before I do, I have to congratulate your mothers.” She went to Laurel. “Congratulations on having a very vocal and instructive daughter; she is very firm in telling Peeta what will make her happy in their bedroom.” She then looked to Anna. “Your son is a very virile lover—if he wasn’t, Katniss wouldn’t wake everyone up despite our hangovers whenever she climaxes—“

“Annie, honey!” Johanna led her friend away. “Why don’t you look at this side before Katniss has an aneurysm?”

“Okay!” The girl followed Johanna, unaware of the effect of her words.

Katniss turned to the older women. “Sorry…” Her eyes began to fill with tears.

She knew that Annie meant to compliment her. Sometimes, however, it wasn’t in the best words.

“Oh no, sweetie!” Angelica jumped from her seat and pulled Katniss in for a hug. “I was very much the same way you were before Johanna was born! I almost gave Luke a heart attack that last month making him meet my needs.”

“Gross,” Johanna replied loudly from across the room.

“How do you think I had so many children?” Hazelle added with an easy smile. “I mean, not all of them were planned…Rory happened after Jacob won a huge bet from that year’s Super Bowl. And Posy? She happened during a huge win in the World Series.”

“This just keeps getting worse for me,” Johanna groaned.

Hazelle elbowed her mother, who snapped out of her stupor.

“Oh yes, Katniss! Don’t you worry, honey,” Laurel said in a calm voice. “Your father and I conceived you during a Hall and Oates concert. So you see, it’s completely normal to have that high of a sexual drive.” Her mother grinned to herself. “I think you get it from your father.”

“Just kill me now,” Prim muttered a few feet away from her.

“Interesting. Because I pretty sure that Peeta was conceived at an Eagles concert,” Anna suddenly said, her finger on her chin. “Or was it Van Halen?”

She could see that the women were all doing their best to make her feel better, much to her embarrassment.

At this point, however, sex with Peeta seemed like something that wasn’t going to happen until she completely erased this conversation from her mind.

“Katniss!”  

Exasperated, she turned to her friend and Annie placed a huge dress in her arms. “I found your wedding dress!” The tiny girl practically shoved her to the dressing room. “Try it on!”

Inside, Katniss looked listlessly at the dress hanging in front of her.

Truth be told, she wasn’t feeling her bridal best or looking it either.

“Katniss, I don’t hear you changing,” Annie suddenly yelled. “I’ll come in there if you don’t—“

“Okay!”

Removing the navy knee-length dress she wore, she quickly slipped on the dress before her friend could invade the room. Katniss was surprised at the ease that it took to put it on and turned to look at herself.

She stilled when she saw her image.

The top was white, made from thick jersey material that stretched and gave her the chance to play with the sleeve design. The neckline was a deep V but covered her chest so as not to expose too much of her cleavage. The belting at the empire waist was also made of the same jersey material and would accommodate her growing waist.

However, it was the skirt that made the dress.

The skirt was made of peach country lace with soft, delicate ruffles while the underskirt was made of the same material as the top.

The dress didn’t exactly look like a wedding gown, but she sure as hell felt like a bride in it.

There was a knock and Annie entered her room quietly. Her lips burst into a wide smile.

“I knew it would be perfect on you!” Annie clapped her hands excitedly. “Let me fix the sleeves.” She arranged them across her shoulders so it looked like she was wearing capped sleeves before fixing her hair into a low side bun. “It will help Johanna and Prim figure out the veil.”

She looked at herself in the mirror and felt as radiant as the sun.

“Thanks, Annie.” Katniss hugged the girl as tightly as she could—as much as her stomach would let her. The butterflies fluttered inside her and she reached for Annie’s hand to place it on her tummy. “The baby likes the dress, too.”

Annie’s eyes went wide. “It feels just like the first time I ever saw Finnick—like there was some sort of alien in my stomach trying to eat me alive…”

Katniss chuckled. “Not exactly how I’d describe it, but okay.” Her friend went to open the door and then helped her straighten the skirt before she walked out to show everyone.

As she walked out into the front room, everyone fell went silent as their eyes went to her.

“So what do you think?” she asked nervously.

Prim approached her, her blue eyes shining. “Katniss, you’re a bride.” She hugged her sister. “You look beautiful.”

“I know exactly what kind of veil to make,” Johanna said, her voice shaking, but she kept it together after swiping her eyes quickly.

“You think it wouldn’t be as hard after seeing my daughter get married, but it doesn’t!” Angelica wiped her eyes with a silk handkerchief.

“I can’t wait until Posy gets married,” Hazelle said tearfully and smiled at her pseudo-daughter. “You’re a dream, Katniss.”

She looked over at their mothers. “Well?”

Anna’s eyes went over her slowly. “Have you seen yourself in the full length?” Katniss shook her head and Peeta’s mother looked to hers. “Laurel, help me show her.”

Together, she followed them to the three-way mirror and the two women helped Katniss up onto the round platform in front. She turned to admire the dress once more. Katniss could see the slight train of the peach skirt and how smooth the silhouette looked on her burgeoning figure.

As great as she had looked in the dressing room, Katniss felt even more radiant in this light.

“You’re lovely,” Anna whispered in her ear.

“And perfect,” Laurel whispered in the other.

Katniss looked at herself once more with the women standing next to her before kissing each one on the cheek.

“Thank you.”

She felt herself tremble inside. How could she say goodbye to all of her mothers?

++++++

“This isn’t right!” Katniss looked at the number on the scale. “I’ve gained another two pounds.”

“Perfectly normal,” Effie informed her. “Step off the scale and stop worrying.” She turned and pointed at the exam table which Peeta stood next to. “Go on and lay down. You shouldn’t worry about weight gain and focus on other things.”

“Like what?” she grumbled before glaring at Peeta. “This is all your fault.”

He looked over at Effie, who gave him a sympathetic smile. “We’re getting to the point where she feels like everything is your fault.”

Peeta twirled his finger listlessly. “Oh, yay.” Katniss walked onto the step of the exam table and sat down on the table. “I’m sorry that everything is my fault.”

“Yeah…yeah…” Katniss grumbled and he felt himself bristle at her irritation towards him.

It had been a long day for both of them.

Peeta was just coming off a 5AM shift at the bakery. He had to bring the delivery of flour bags into storage before taking inventory and then opening. Katniss had just finished a morning full of training with Cinna at the hospital and had realized as they walked through the building that she no longer walked.

She waddled.

Actually, Cinna had pointed it out and then she ripped him a new one.

She was in no mood to be teased and a different kind of exhaustion from her first trimester had started—all she wanted was to go home and go to bed.

“Is the baby kicking regularly?” Effie asked gently as she felt Katniss’ abdomen.

“Ye—“ Peeta began to answer, but stopped when he caught Katniss’ glare.

Effie was right—it seemed that he would be the enemy for the next couple of weeks.

“The baby is kicking—a lot,” Katniss informed her. “Kicking so much that I can’t sleep—a-and when I manage to catch about five minutes of sleep and then try to get up by myself—I can’t!”

Her voice hit a pitch that Peeta had never heard before. “And I’m getting married very soon and I’ll be _waddling_ down the aisle. Waddling—yup. Then after that, a little human being is going to come shooting out of my VAGINA!”

Katniss’ eyes were angry and panicked as she turned to Peeta.  “And you—you think we’re going to be okay when we leave! How? HOW?”

He told himself to remain calm. This wasn’t his Katniss. These were all just hormones.

“I know us well enough to know that we’re going to be okay,” he responded tersely.

“Well don’t you know everything,” she said crossly.

Then he snapped.

“I KNOW THIS ISN’T YOU!” Peeta suddenly burst out.

Looking between the red-faced couple, Effie put down the sonogram wand. “I’m going to step outside.”

Quickly, she went to the door and walked out of the floral room warzone.

“You don’t know me,” she seethed at him. “We met like what—eight months ago?”

“I know that this isn’t you—THESE ARE THE HORMONES!” He yelled. “AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT THEY ARE BEING COMPLETELY PSYCHO! NOT YOU—THE HORMONES!”

She wasn’t about to be one-upped by him. “SCREW YOU!”

“YOU DID SCREW ME! THAT’S HOW WE GOT HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE—“

Peeta’s phone suddenly beeped in his pocket. It was then followed by a ring from Katniss’ phone inside her purse. He picked it up and handed it to the glaring woman on the exam table. He reached into his pocket to read the text that he had just received.

“Shit,” they said simultaneously as they read their messages.

Glimmer was in labor.

++++++

“Let’s just turn around,” Katniss grumbled as they walked towards the front door. “I’m sure there are others.”

“No, there aren’t,” Peeta replied through clenched teeth. He was still trying to cool down from their yelling match in Effie’s office. “Marvel told me that there weren’t any family that could take time off from work to wait it out.”

The two had rushed out of the office as soon as Katniss had pulled on her clothes with Effie trailing behind them screaming for both of them to keep calm for the baby’s sake. Peeta was pretty sure that he would be getting a phone call from Haymitch later.

“Also, Glimmer is early,” he added as he rang the doorbell.

Katniss looked over at him as they waited to be let in. She felt horrible for the things she said.

She knew that she wasn’t angry at him. She was scared.

Scared that in a few weeks, their lives were going to change completely. And then they would change even more once they left for Johns Hopkins.

The door opened quickly and Marvel greeted them with a tired smile. “You’re here! Thank goodness!”

Walking in, they looked around at the pristine house—nothing seemed out of sorts except for the few toys scattered in the living room.

“Her water just broke two hours ago but it seems the little ones are going to be making a very quick appearance,” he informed them.

They heard a loud wail from upstairs and Katniss cringed.

“Marvel,” an older woman with short brown hair called out sternly as she came down the stairs holding a ball of crinkled sheets. “Glimmer is calling for you.” She put the ball in Peeta’s arms. “Also, she wants her friend.” The woman looked over at Katniss.

“Peeta, Katniss—this is Emily Wiress, our midwife, but call her Wiress,” Marvel said. He took Katniss’ hand. “Let’s get up there, we can’t keep Glimmer up there alone or she’ll likely yank those babies out herself!”

Katniss looked panicked as she was pulled up the stairs. “Peeta…”

“You.” Peeta looked over to see Wiress looking at him, no expression in her eyes. “We’re going to need some more sheets. They’re in the laundry room.” The woman then went up the stairs after Glimmer let out another wail.

“Where the hell is the laundry room?”

“You said a bad word.” He looked down to see Ada and MJ, hand in hand, staring up at him. The kids gave him a smile.

“Sorry,” he said to them. “Can you show me where the laundry room is?”

Ada nodded and he followed the two children past the stairs through the massive kitchen to the door next to the dining room. Quickly, he tossed the sheets into the washing machine and grabbed a neatly folded stack that sat on the dryer.

“PEETA!” He rushed over to the stairs to see Wiress glaring at him from the top of the stairs. “We’re waiting for you!”

Peeta nodded and turned to the children as he was halfway up the stairs. “I’ll be back and make you a snack.” Ada jumped excitedly and MJ giggled into his hands.

Following the midwife, he walked into the room and found a very pale Katniss sitting in a loveseat, adjacent to the bed, next to a serene Glimmer.

“Hello, Peeta,” Glimmer said with a wan smile. “Thanks for coming.”

“No problem,” he replied as Marvel took the sheets from his arms. “I promised Ada and MJ a snack so I’d better go and check on them.”

“Thanks for looking out,” Marvel said gratefully as he and Wiress fixed the sheets on the bed.

“Peeta?” He looked over to see Katniss going to him. “Can I speak to you outside?”

Once they were outside, Peeta turned to look at her. “What’s up?”

“I didn’t mean to get so upset,” Katniss said quietly. “I think I’ve been trying so hard to deny how scared I am of everything. I’m not used to this—” She placed her hands on her full belly.

Peeta watched her hands gently move lovingly against her stomach and felt his anger slowly dissipate.

“Not used to being pregnant?”

“I’m still not used to planning a life that’s not just me,” she told him truthfully. “Yet, I find it so easy to imagine our life together. Though I imagine you aren’t too crazy about spending your life with me at the moment.” Katniss looked down shamefully. “I was a total nightmare.”

He lifted her chin and pressed his lips softly to hers. “So was I,” he replied as he pulled her close. Peeta knew that there were going to be many changes and he thought about how much she had to change over these past few months. “I’m sorry.”

At the same time, he knew deep down that was why he wanted them to go to Johns Hopkins. So that she could still keep a semblance what was her old life—Peeta understood how important it was to her.

To him, however, his life hadn’t started until she came along.

They heard a groan from the room and Katniss looked over at him. “Oh God, I can’t go in there again,” she whispered to him. “I almost fainted when Wiress checked how dilated she was. I beg you, when we are in the delivery room—do _not_ look down there. You will regret it.”

“So I’m invited into the delivery room?” he asked with a grin.

“You’re demanded in there.” Another groan vibrated through the walls. “I’d better go.”

He felt his stomach turning just hearing the sounds and kissed Katniss before she went to the door.

“Good luck,” he called out as he walked down the hallway to the stairs.

At the top, he found his two little friends waiting below with expectant smiles.

He gave them a bright grin. “So who wants macaroni and cheese?”

++++++

“Peeta.”

He opened his eyes to find Marvel looking down at him on the couch. As he attempted to sit up, he realized that Ada and MJ were fast asleep next to him.

“Hey,” he replied groggily. “Are you a father again?”

The man nodded excitedly. “Yup, they just arrived about an hour ago,” Marvel informed him.

“Are they as cute as these two?” Peeta asked with a grin as he looked at the sleeping children.

“I’ll have to compare when they’re side by side, but I think they’re all equally cute,” Marvel joked as he lifted Ada into his arms. “Let’s bring these two to their beds and then I can introduce you to my other two tax breaks.”

Peeta sat up slowly with MJ snoozing on his shoulder and the two men climbed the stairs together to bring the children into their rooms. Making a left at the top, they stopped at the first set of doors across from one another.

“Make sure to turn on the nightlight next to his night table,” Marvel instructed before opening Ada’s door.

Peeta could see the pale pink of the little girl’s room and he turned to open MJ’s door. When he turned on the light, he was amazed at the toddler’s room. It was decorated to look like a race track with MJ’s racecar bed in the center of the room.

Going to the bed, he gently laid the little boy down and brushed a kiss to his forehead. After turning the nightlight on, Peeta shut off the main light and quickly left the room.

Closing the door, he turned and found Marvel waiting for him. “How did it go while we were up here?”

“I think the louder that Glimmer got, the more things I did to occupy myself,” Peeta told his friend with a laugh. “By the way, I did a load of laundry and organized your kitchen shelves. I also threw out all of your old food and cleaned the fridge.”

Marvel stifled a laugh. “You’re so in trouble during Katniss’ delivery,” he joked as they reached the door to Glimmer’s room.

Knocking softly, Marvel opened the door and the two men entered to find their significant others cradling the newborns. Katniss looked up and gave Peeta a smile before looking back down at the baby in the blue blanket.

“How are you ladies doing?” Marvel asked as he sat next to Glimmer, who was holding Ellie in her arms.

“We’re doing fine,” Glimmer replied softly. “I think our son might have a little crush on Katniss, however. He stopped crying once she picked him up.” She looked over at her friend. “You can give him to Marvel if you’re getting tired.”

Katniss shook her head and look back down, enchanted by the baby in her arms. “I can hold him a little longer.” She turned to Peeta. “Come and meet Francis.”

Tentatively, he approached his fiancée and the infant. When he was at their side, Peeta peeked at the sleeping baby. He had Glimmer’s bright yellow hair but Peeta could see Marvel’s face on the little one. The baby sighed and his lips curled up in a content semi-smile.

“Wow, he’s tiny,” he said softly and placed a kiss on top of Katniss’ head. “How did it go?”

“It was okay,” Katniss said with a gentle smile.

“Tell the truth,” Glimmer told her.

“It was a nightmare,” she admitted and looked at the baby she was holding. “But it looks totally worth it.”

“It is,” Marvel assured them. “It’s late, so I think you two should stay over. We had a guest room set up for you just in case this happened.” Standing up, he went to the couple and gently took Francis from Katniss’ arms. He turned and carefully handed the baby to Peeta. “Why don’t you put Francis in the bassinet? Then I’ll show you to your room.”

Peeta looked down at the little boy in his arms. He felt so light and it only made Peeta more aware of how fragile the infant was.

Soon, there would a baby just as light as this one that he would be taking care of.

Kissing the baby on the forehead, he inhaled the powdery scent on his head before placing Francis in the bassinet to get a good night’s sleep. Turning, he found Katniss and Marvel waiting for him by the door. His fiancée tenderly took his hand and he brought hers up to his lips to gently kiss her knuckles.

“Goodnight, you two,” Glimmer said.

“Goodnight,” Katniss said.

“Congratulations,” Peeta added before they went into the hallway.

“I think you’ll like this room,” Marvel said to them as they walked. “We can’t thank you enough for being here for us. You’re really just wonderful friends.”

“No problem,” Peeta said as he put an arm around Katniss. “You would do the same thing for us.”

“We would,” their friend responded as he opened the door to their room.

Inside was a huge cherrywood canopy bed with matching side tables. To the opposite wall was a large flatscreen TV and below it a fireplace. An armoire stood next to another door, which Peeta assumed was probably their bathroom.

“It’s gorgeous,” Katniss breathed as they entered.

“Check out the view,” Marvel said as he walked ahead and opened the double doors leading to the balcony.

Together, they joined their friend and looked out in amazement at the sight before them. It was dark, but they could clearly see the moon over the ocean. Below them was large manicured backyard with flower gardens along the fence.

“For some reason, I never noticed that you lived by the ocean,” Peeta said as he inhaled the cool air.

“You’re so lucky,” Katniss said as she looked out at the calm water. “I think I’ll miss this the most when we go to Johns Hopkins.”

“Glimmer and I were wondering—if you might want to have the wedding here?” Marvel asked with a smile. “You’ve both been so great and we can’t thank you enough. Plus, we remembered that you wanted to find a place that didn’t make you barf, Katniss--and you seem to be feeling pretty good here.”

“I do love it,” Katniss said and turned to her fiancé. “Peeta, what do you think?”

“I think the only thing that matters to me is that I’m marrying you,” he replied as he met her eyes, her lips lifting into a grin that made his heart beat a little faster. “If this is where you want to get married, then I’m all for it.”

Katniss looked over at Marvel. “I think we’re going to take you up on the offer.”

“Perfect! I’ll let Glimmer know and we’ll iron out all the details this week.” He went to Katniss and gave her a kiss on the cheek before hugging Peeta quickly. “Thanks for letting us be a part of your day.”

“No, thank you,” Peeta told his friend. “You showed us how wonderful it’s going to be.”

Marvel nodded before leaving them on the balcony to go check on his wife.

“You okay?” he asked as he watched Katniss stare out at the sea.

“I was just thinking about how scared and unsure I was a few hours ago,” she told him. “It was really scary to watch Glimmer in so much pain.” Katniss turned to him. “But then the babies were here and it was incredible. Women have been experiencing this since the beginning of time and it seems that no matter how many times it’s happened, it will always be amazing.” She placed a hand on her stomach and grinned. “The baby is moving.”

Peeta went to her and placed his hand over where hers rested. “I can’t wait to see you, kid.” He knelt before her and kissed her belly. He looked up and met her beaming eyes. “And I can’t wait to marry you.”

“Ditto,” she said softly. “So two weeks?”

Standing up, Peeta kissed her gently wrapping his arms around her and the bump. “Yes, two weeks.”

* * *

 

This chapter begins at 30 weeks and ends at 34 weeks.

As the baby gets bigger, he or she begins to push up on the diaphragm which can cause heartburn. Also, baby movement has increased and should be monitored.

We are getting to the end and though I wish this could go on forever, it can’t. I envision one or two chapters left before the end. We’ll see how it goes.

Thank you so much for sticking with me during this hiatus—I know that it was a long one. Also, I wanted to keep this chapter very light as I feel that we’ve had enough angst.

Aren’t the kids adorable? I love MJ and Ada—I also have pictures of both if you’d like to see them.

There is also a brief quote that mirrors one from “Knocked Up”—did you spot it?

Hellos, comments and reviews are always welcome on FF, AO3 and Tumblr.

Next: Thirty-Six Weeks —the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the baby shower, and the wedding—FINALLY.

Until Part Ten, JLaLa


	10. Part Ten: Thirty-Six Weeks

Finally, we’re at the wedding!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, my beta, for her hard work!

One

Part Ten: Thirty-Six Weeks

**_Three Days to the Wedding…_ **

“Katniss?”

She opened her eyes as Peeta entered the candle-lit bathroom. He stopped short seeing her sitting in the tub, small bits of bubbles clinging to her glistening olive skin. Her belly stood in front of her, almost blocking him from her view.

Pushing herself up, Katniss gave him a tired smile. “You found me,” she told him. “And that means that they’ll find me.”

“It’s a bachelorette party—not a hanging,” Peeta told her.

“I’m a house.” Katniss’ hands went to her belly and she felt the little one swimming inside her. “They want to go _clubbing_. That dress that I wore the night we met? I need two of them to cover me now.”

“You’re going to be beautiful no matter what you wear,” he assured her. “Four days, Katniss—just remember that. Four days and you will be my wife.” Peeta leaned in to kiss her quickly and she felt herself breathless staring at his handsome face through the steam of the heated water.

“I know that I’m a whale—but this tub is pretty big,” she suggested. “Don’t you have to get washed up for your bachelor party?” Katniss beckoned him forward. “Come join me.”

“Gladly,” he told her. She watched him slip out of his fitted jeans as well as his white t-shirt, and her mouth watered at seeing the trail of hair on his abdomen leading below his boxer briefs. “You okay there?”

“Honestly, I’m a little horny,” she told him and he snorted at her words. “And very stressed out.”

His hands went to the waistband of his briefs and he pulled them down, smirking as her mouth dropped open.

“Then let me help you out.”

++++++

“You seem like you’re in a better mood than when I talked to you this morning,” Prim said with an arm around her sister. “You look gorgeous, too.”

Johanna, Prim and Annie had presented her with the beautiful silvery empire dress as a present. It had thick straps and a square neckline that showed off her ample cleavage nicely. Prim had done her hair, leaving it in soft curls that fell around her face. Annie had given her a pair of black platform heels that seemed very comfortable, though she wasn’t sure how they would fare by the end of the night.

“You have sex face,” Johanna pointed out with a laugh. “Damn, Katniss! By the end, I wouldn’t let Gale touch me! Yet here you are—getting it done ‘til the very end.”

“Katniss is very active,” Annie stated, a finger twirling around her dark hair hazily. “The guys and I make bets all the time on how many times she and Peeta get down in one night—I’m averaging on three times.”

Her face immediately heated up at Annie’s words. On the other hand, she was not at all surprised, either.

“Props, Mama.” Johanna gave her a fist bump. She adjusted her tight black tube dress. “How do I look?”

“Like you argued with Gale over the shortness of that dress—and you won,” Prim assured her.

“I can always tell how hot I look depending on whether I can get in without waiting in line,” Johanna said. “Here I go.”

“Not so fast, young lady—” They all turned to see Mrs. Mason rushing towards them—along with the rest of their mothers. She went to her daughter and eyed her skimpy dress. “You look like a damn trollop.”

“Trollop, Mom?” Johanna retorted as she glared at her mother. “I’m not the one whose skirt is closing in on the bikini line.”

Angelica grinned at her. “You like it? I got it from your store—and Hazelle shortened it for me.” Hazelle, in her own slinky dress, waved at her daughter-in-law, who waved back weakly at her.

“Oh my God...” Johanna turned to Katniss and the other girls. “It’s two against one.”

“I think Johanna looks great,” Laurel offered with a sympathetic smile. She wore a fitted peach dress and Katniss had to admit that her mother cut a pretty good figure for someone who popped out two kids.

She hoped that genetics was in her favor.

“Go ahead, honey,” Anna said to Johanna as she stood beside Laurel. “Get us in there.”

Anna had to be the most impressive out of all of them in her tight red dress and stilettos. Several men in the line were ogling her slim figure and full blonde curls.

Katniss thanked God that Peeta wasn’t there to see this. His head would probably explode.

“Here I go,” Johanna said as Katniss and Prim followed. Her best friend went to the bouncer, a hand on her hip as she smiled at him. “Hey.”

The man looked over her before nodding his head over the line in front of him. “Back of the line.”

Her smile fell a bit but Johanna pressed forward. “Oh, come on! You know you want to.”

“Like I said, lady—back of the line,” the bouncer replied before letting two women in past Johanna. He winked at them. “Have fun, ladies.”

“WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” Johanna suddenly said. “You think because you have some shitty little clipboard that you can just act like you own the damn place? I am ten times hotter than those two skanks—“

“Lady, I don’t know who you are,” the man said firmly. “But I’m gonna keep it real with you. You’re old—” He looked over at Katniss. “And she is really pregnant. I can’t just let a bunch of old, pregnant ladies in this club.”

Johanna looked at him for a moment before turning and walking over to her mother.

She stomped her foot and burst into tears. “Mommy—he won’t let me in!”

“Here comes ‘Only-child Johanna’…” Prim said in her ear. She looked over at Katniss, whose lips were quivering. “You okay?”

“That man called me ‘really pregnant,’” she responded.

“Katniss, you are really pregnant,” her sister told her.

“I know—but he didn’t have to point it out,” Katniss said with a trembling chin.

“THAT’S IT!” Angelica stomped over to the bouncer. “Young man—I demand an apology!”

The bouncer’s eyes swept over Johanna’s mother in admiration. “Damn, you are one fine Amazonian woman.”

Angelica looked at him skeptically. “That’s all well and good—but that doesn’t mean that you can treat my daughter like you did—“

“Wait, that’s your daughter, sweetheart?” He suddenly unclipped the stanchion for Angelica. “If she’s with you—then let her in.”

They looked in disbelief as Angelica put an arm around the man. “And the rest of my friends?”

He nodded. “Of course,” he told her as his eyes went to Laurel. “As long as Miss Peaches and Cream over there dances with me later.”

Katniss tried not to laugh at her mother’s suddenly scarlet cheeks.

Prim scoffed, “What the fuck? I’m the younger version of her!”

“Of course she will,” Angelica cooed at him, her hand caressing his chin. “And I’ll even buy you a drink.” She looked over at the group. “Come along, ladies.” They all rushed past the stanchion and towards the entrance of the club.

Johanna stopped in front of her mother with an admiring grin. “You are the Master.”

Angelica winked at the bouncer before putting an arm around her daughter. “Don’t I know it.”

++++++

Of all the things Peeta thought he would be doing during his bachelor party—he didn’t think that he would be doing this.

“Who exactly invited them?” Gale asked as he sipped his beer.

At the table next to them—Jacob, Gabe, and Richard—sat together with a group of scantily-clad women standing around them. At the opposite table sat Finnick, Cato, and Thresh with a woman on each of their laps. Cal and Will had been unable to come as both were out of town, finishing some work business so they could have the time off for Peeta’s wedding.

Downstairs, Rory was DJ to the regular club goers as Vick danced with his latest flavor of the month on the crowded floor.

“I’m torn between laughing and crying,” Peeta replied with a buzzed grin. “Our fathers have a lot of game.”

“It just seems very wrong to look at any other women with the thought of them telling on us,” Gale replied. “Johanna told me exactly where she’s going to put her foot if I touch any other girl.”

“I heard there is a groom in the VIP room,” the waitress said with a smile as she approached them.

Peeta raised his hand. “That would be me,” he told her.

“Then you deserve a drink and a dance on me,” she replied with a flirty smile.

“I’ll take the drink,” Peeta told her easily.

“Come on, Peeta! Don’t be such a fucking square!” Cato told his friend as a dancer gyrated on his lap. “You’re sacrificing yourself in four days.”

He shook his head at the man. “I’m not sacrificing anything,” Peeta told him. The waitress’ eyes softened at his words. “I marrying the love of my life—and the mother of my child.”

“That’s about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!” the waitress gushed. “How did you meet her?”

“We actually met at a club,” he told her. “I was bartending and she was there with her sister. Also, Gale—” he nodded over at the man next to him, “And his wife, Johanna, were there. They’re my fiancée’s best friends.” His mind wandered to that night—the first time he saw Katniss in her pretty red dress as he went to take her drink order. “She just knocked the wind out of me.”

“In return, you knocked my best friend up,” Gale retorted. His father, along with Gabe and Richard, turned to him sternly. He shrugged. “Well, it’s not like we can’t deny it. Katniss isn’t just retaining water. She’s more mid-crowning.”

“How many weeks is she?” Cato’s dancer asked him. She got up from his friend’s lap and joined them at the table.

“Thirty-six weeks,” Peeta said with a grin. “And the wedding is in four days.” He suddenly felt the smile falling from his face and his heart began to beat. The abrupt realization of how much everything was changing threw him into a sudden tailspin. “Holy shit—I’m going to be a husband.” He turned to Gale panicked. “Katniss is going to be my wife!”

“Dude, are you okay?” Gale said. The fathers all jumped from their seats and went to the table. “You are like _Casper, the Friendly Ghost_ white.”

“He’s having a panic attack,” the waitress suddenly said to them. “I’ll go get some water.” She got up and rushed to the private bar in the room.

Peeta felt his throat closing up as he began to hyperventilate. “And I’m going to be father! I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT!” He looked over at Cato’s dancer. “In parenting class, Katniss and I could barely close a diaper!”

“You’ll get the hang of it,” she replied. “When I had my daughter, I had no idea what to do, either.”

Peeta met the woman’s eyes. “You have a daughter?”

The woman beamed at him and reached into her bejeweled bra. She held out a picture of a toddler with bright blue eyes and red hair. “Her name is Haley and she just turned two.”

“She’s really pretty,” Peeta told her. “Did your husband panic like I’m panicking?”

She gave him a sad smile. “I wouldn’t know. He disappeared when I told him that she was coming. Also, he wasn’t a husband—he was sort of a boyfriend.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Haley seems to be doing perfect without him. She has you—I never got your name.”

“Lavinia,” she told him as she held out her hand for him to shake.

The waitress came rushing back with a bottled water. “You okay there?” She twisted off the cap and he took it gratefully. She patted his back soothingly. “It happens.”

“Thanks—” He looked up at her apologetically. “I’m sorry—”

“Octavia,” she introduced herself. “I have two kids of my own.” Looking over at the older men, Octavia gave him a kind smile. “It won’t be easy, but I’m sure that you’ll have plenty of help and advice.”

Peeta looked at the men around him sadly. At this point, they had pulled the tables together and gathered around him.

“Here’s the thing,” Peeta told Octavia. “Katniss and I will be moving after the baby is born—across the country. So we won’t have anyone but each other.”

“Son, sometimes the best way to learn is by trying it on your own,” his father told him.

“And we are just a phone call away,” Gabe added in assurance. “You and Katniss are going to be okay. You both have good heads on your shoulders. I wouldn’t let my daughter marry you if I didn’t think you could care and encourage her like you have.”

“Yeah, that’s what’s great about you two,” Gale told him as Jacob nodded in agreement. “You both take care of one another—it’s your thing.”

Peeta looked around at the men—the fathers, the friends, and the roommates that he would be leaving. “I don’t know if it’s the alcohol talking, but I’m really going to miss having all of you around.”

The group went quiet—until the sound of someone sniffling was heard in the room.

“Okay, who’s crying?” Thresh asked loudly. His eyes zeroed in on Finnick, whose shoulder was being patted by a dancer wearing only body paint. “Seriously, Finnick?”

“It’s really kind of sad, you know,” Finnick sniffled as the girl wiped his eyes with a napkin.

“Or maybe you’ve been smoking a little too much,” Cato told him.

Finnick shrugged. “That, too.”

“What the hell is going on?”

They all looked to see the bachelorettes and their mothers standing at the entrance of the VIP room, arms crossed, as they saw the group of dancers with the men.

“Peeta?” His eyes went to Katniss, who stood in front of the group in a shimmering dress that made her glow even in the darkness. She smiled as soon as her eyes met his.

Jumping from his seat, Peeta rushed over to her. “Katniss…” His arms were around her immediately.

“Babe?” she asked, confused. “Are you okay?” Returning his embrace, Katniss reached to caress his cheek. “Also, why are all the exotic dancers staring at me?”

“They’re just really happy to see you,” he assured her with a grin. “I was having a bit of a panic attack and everyone talked me down.”

“I was wondering when that would happen.” Katniss squeezed his hand. “Are you okay now?”

He pulled her close once more. “Yes, even better now that you’re here.”

Katniss snorted against his shoulder. “Liar.”

“You two really are super cute together!” Lavinia suddenly said and hugged them both tightly. Octavia followed and soon the couple found themselves in a group hug with the dancers.

Katniss met his eyes. “Peeta?”

“Yeah?”

“When I imagined my bachelorette party, I didn’t think I would be surrounded by breasts.”

++++++

“Thanks for helping us out,” Katniss said as Haymitch walked a drunken Gale into the Mason house. Behind him, Peeta carried in a passed-out Johanna. “After the dancers and the bachelorettes joined in the party, I think it all got a little out of hand.”

“Yeah, my Dad is going to be pissed when he sees the alcohol tab,” Peeta added as he placed Johanna across the couch.

“He can afford it,” Haymitch replied with a grin. Propping Gale in the recliner, the man stood up stiffly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your parents that messed up.”

“Yeah, my parents making out will forever be seared into my mind.” Peeta shuddered at the memory. “After this, I’m not sure that your parents will want them as in-laws.”

“Well, you weren’t there when my mother was dancing with the bouncer at the other club we went to,” Katniss responded. She eyed her two friends. “Then, these two.”

Haymitch chuckled at her exasperation. “What have the younger Hawthornes gotten into?”

“Fights, stripping, and getting us kicked out of the club,” Peeta told him. “The fighting was Johanna, the stripping was Gale, and the getting us kicked out was them as a duo—they were like fucking Batman and Robin against security.”

“Worst part is that Gale was Robin,” Katniss added with a smirk.

Haymitch looked at his watch. “Well, I’d better get going. Effie is pulling an all-nighter at the hospital, so I’m going to grab her some Krispy Kremes and coffee.”

“You are really very sweet to her,” Katniss remarked.

Haymitch shrugged, a small grin on his lips. “She’s my lady.”

“Keep working on it and eventually you’ll wear her down with that marriage proposal.” Katniss kissed his cheek. “Tell her that we said hi and we’ll see her in the afternoon for my appointment.”

“Will do,” Haymitch said and patted Peeta on the shoulder. “Get some rest—I heard you had a good cry tonight.”

“Haha.” His cheeks turned red at his Godfather’s words. “Finnick was the crybaby!”

Katniss put an arm around him. “That was due to being hot-boxed by Thresh and Cato, though. What was your reason?”

Peeta pouted at her. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

She kissed him firmly, pulling away with a loud smack. “I am.”

“This is my cue to leave,” Haymitch said and gave them a wave. “Have a good night.”

When they heard the click of the door closing, the couple looked at both Gale and Johanna. Katniss went to her friend and propped her head to her side. Then she went to Gale and did the same. Jenna was at a sleepover, so the couple wouldn’t have to worry about waking their daughter once their hangovers kicked in.

Peeta put an arm around her. “We should head to your place. It’s almost three in the morning.”

She smiled at her fiancé. “Or we could do something else.”

“I’m way too tired for that,” he replied.

“Not _that_ ,” Katniss replied before looking over at her two best friends. “Did I ever tell you that when I turned twenty-one, I woke up on the lawn in front of this house because these two morons forgot to unlock the side gate?” She shook her head at the memory. “I woke up because the paperboy threw the newspaper at my ass.”

Peeta shook his head at the story, trying to suppress his smile. “I bet you were pissed.”

“I wasn’t until I saw the pictures they took of me, ass up on their lawn.”

“Sounds like you want revenge,” he remarked. “We could take pictures of them if you want.”

“Or we can draw on their faces.”

Peeta looked over at her in shock. “What?”

Katniss went to the small drawing table where Jenna’s markers were. She had been waiting years for the perfect opportunity to get back at the couple.  They had shown the pictures to her parents and had one superimposed on her birthday cake during Sunday dinner. Nothing was more humiliating than having to cut into her own ass as she served cake to all of their parents as well as Prim, Rory, and Vick, who were desperately trying not to laugh at her.

Now she would finally have her vengeance.

“I don’t know if I can participate in this,” Peeta said.

“Consider this your wedding present to me,” she told him as she chose a green marker. It was the brightest. “Now hold up Johanna’s face.”

He looked over at her. “Are you serious?”

“Just think - they might show that old photo to the baby one day,” she told him. “Do you really want that?”

Going to Johanna, Peeta carefully moved her face so that Katniss would have better access. “Hurry up and do it.”

Carefully, she leaned down and began to write on her best friend’s forehead: KATNISS’ BITCH. Johanna had written JOHANNA’S BITCH on her forehead after a drunken night of celebrating her college graduation. However, Johanna had used a very strong gel marker, which left Katniss with a raw forehead after having to spend hours scrubbing it off.

“I thought you were going to draw on her face,” Peeta said.

She looked over at him. “I’m not an artist.” Katniss handed him the marker and nodded over at Gale. “Your turn.”

“Why do I have to do it?” he asked her as she led him over.

“Couple bonding.” Katniss carefully turned her friend’s head towards her fiancé. “Be creative.”

She watched Peeta look over Gale for a moment before leaning over and writing slowly against an exposed cheek. After he was finished, Peeta pulled away to admire his work and Katniss rounded the recliner to look at his work.

“’I LOVE PEENISS’?” Katniss turned to him. “You realize that you spelled penis wrong, right?”

Peeta grinned at her. “Not that kind of penis—it’s a merging of our names.”

Katniss took his hand. “And this is why I’m marrying you.”

++++++

**_Two Days to the Wedding…_ **

“So I wanted to talk to you about Braxton-Hicks contractions,” Effie told them. “I’m sure you’ve felt some twinges of discomfort.”

“Just a smidge,” Katniss told her jokingly. Peeta gave her a sympathetic smile from where he stood next to her.

“Braxton-Hicks can be uncomfortable, but walking can help,” their doctor told them. “They shouldn’t get stronger or closer together. They shouldn’t be in intervals.”

“A lot of this is a pattern then,” Peeta said to Effie. The woman nodded and looked over at Katniss. “Sounds simple enough to remember.”

“I’m not worried about the contractions. I’m worried about pushing the baby out of my vagina,” Katniss said to him. “And everything that happens after.”

Effie took her hand. “Remember what I told you? We’re a team. I have been here for you since the beginning and will be until the very end. If you have any questions when you’re at school, give me a call.” She looked sadly at the couple. “I’m really going to miss you guys. You’ve both become very special to me.”

“Also, we brought you Haymitch,” Peeta told her with an amused smile.

“Well, he’s a contributing factor,” the woman said fondly. “He’s told me a lot about you as a child, Peeta—about your curiosity and intelligence. Haymitch said that you’ve always moved to your own beat.”

Effie looked to Katniss. “And you—when Johanna told me that you thought you were pregnant, I was surprised,” she told her. “Because she always said that you were the most level-headed person, even compared to Gale, who is the most serious boy that I’ve ever met!” Katniss laughed at her words. “She said that she could always trust you to be sensible.”

“I really screwed up on that.” Katniss looked over at Peeta and took his hand. “Actually, not really.”

“She also told me that only a real game-changer could throw you off,” Effie continued. “And that it was good you got a little rattled up for once. Johanna only worried that you would just end up stuck.”

Katniss grinned at Effie. “Not so stuck anymore,” she said. “Effie—Peeta and I—we’re going to be okay, aren’t we?”

The woman nodded. “I have no doubt. You’re not going to be perfect parents, but you’re going to be good, encouraging parents to him or her. You’re going to be parents who make mistakes—and that’s okay. Children always come to realize that their parents aren’t perfect anyway—and it always becomes much more significant when they have the kind of parents who will love them no matter what.”

She felt the tears fill her eyes. In such a short time, Effie had become so dear to them—a guardian and friend to both her and Peeta.

Looking over to Peeta, she saw that he was also a bit watery-eyed from Effie’s words.

“I know we never really discussed this, honey,” she said to him. “But do you trust me to make the right decisions?”

“Always—you’re the brains and I’m the brawn of this operation,” Peeta replied.

Katniss looked to the woman in front of her and took her hand.

“Effie, will you be our kid’s Haymitch?” Katniss asked. “You know—be there when we’re driving him or her crazy? See the things that we’re sometimes not able to see?”

Effie beamed at them and nodded. “That’s about the weirdest way that anyone’s asked me to be their kid’s godparent—but I accept.”

+++++++

**_One Day to the Wedding…_ **

“I know that you’ve probably got a gaggle of gifts,” Sae said to Peeta. “But I wanted to give you your gift in private.”

The two had just closed up the bakery and he would be making his drive up to Glimmer and Marvel’s home after. Katniss was already settled in her own bridal suite, while he would have the room that Marvel had shown them after Francis and Ellie’s births.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Peeta told her. “You’ve already made our wedding cake.”

“It’s nothing really,” Sae insisted as he helped her sit at one of the tables in the front of the bakery. She reached into her small satchel and pulled out a small wrapped package. “Here you go, son.”

“Thanks, Sae,” Peeta replied as he carefully unwrapped the package. It was a small, worn-out notebook, similar to the one that he had been using to record his flour findings. Opening it, he found carefully written recipes along with notes in the margins of some of them. “What is this?”

“My legacy,” the woman replied. “These are all of my recipes. When I retire, everything that I’ve learned and acquired will be lost. However, I would have no qualms if you decided to use these recipes for your own bakery.”

“What?” Peeta asked in confusion.

“You’re talented, Peeta, and you could really do something with these recipes. You could probably improve them,” Sae said. “You also have an eye for business and customer service. Plus, you have to do something while Katniss becomes a doctor.”

For a moment, he could see himself running his own bakery. He and Katniss’ baby strapped onto him in a carrier as he helped customers. Flipping through the pages, Peeta could feel the excitement run through him as he imagined what he could do with Sae’s recipes.

He smiled at the woman gratefully. “Thank you.”

“You have a lot of potential,” Sae told him. “Don’t waste it.”

++++++

“You nervous?” Marvel asked quietly as he walked down the long upstairs hallway with Peeta. Ellie slept in his well-toned arms, a pacifier in her tiny mouth. “I know I was definitely sweating bullets during my own wedding.”

Peeta shook his head. “These last few months have really just taught me to go with it. Things are going to go wrong, I’m pretty sure of it,” he told his friend. “But by the end of the ceremony, Katniss is going to be my wife.”

“You have twenty minutes to midnight,” Marvel told him. “Glimmer was very strict about making sure that you didn’t break any wedding rules.”

“Got it.” He turned the knob but suddenly looked to his friend. “I just wanted to say before it gets very crazy tomorrow—thank you.”

Marvel nodded, his arms bouncing Ellie gently. “It’s our pleasure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Peeta opened the door to Katniss’ room and quickly slipped in. The room was decorated in white flowers and silk. The thin curtains let the soft moonlight slip into the room. As he approached Katniss, Peeta could see the light of the moon against her cheeks.

Sitting next to her, he leaned down to brush his lips against her. Katniss responded immediately, her hands going to the sides of his face.

Slowly, her eyes opened and Katniss smiled softly up at him. “Am I dreaming?”

Peeta kissed her once more. “Do bakers usually break into your room at night to kiss you awake?”

“Lately, a certain blond one has—we usually end up doing it against one of the oven doors—though I have no idea how exactly we end up in the bakery,” she told him.

“I think I can make that dream happen,” he replied. “After our little bundle drops, of course.” Katniss nodded tiredly, her hands playing with his hair. “I can’t stay long, but I wanted to tell you something.”

Her eyes met his, her brow furrowing worriedly. “What?”

Peeta took a deep breath and he pressed his forehead to hers. “We’re going to be okay, baby.”

Katniss seemed to understand, a hand falling from his hair to caress his cheek as her thumb ran over his rough lip.

“Okay,” she replied simply.

“Also—” Peeta reached into his pocket and pulled out the small box that he had been protecting since Johanna slipped it to him yesterday. He opened the box and pulled out the once-empty four prong gold ring, now filled with a small round diamond. “Better late than never. I know I cut it close, but I paid for this all by myself.”

The tears fell from her eyes as he took her hand and slipped it back onto her ring finger.

“It’s perfect,” she told him. Sitting up, Katniss leaned in slightly to kiss him. “Baby and I will see you at the end of the aisle.”

“I love you both,” Peeta said. He kissed her once more and his lips went to her belly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

++++++

Katniss slowly opened her eyes to the brightly lit bedroom. Carefully, she sat up and her hand went to where she could feel the persistent kicking.

Today was their wedding day.

“Baby, we’re going to officially become Mellarks today.” A small kick hit her insides. “Well, actually, I’m becoming a Mellark—you’ve always been one.”

A knock on the door sounded and she looked to see her mother peeking through the open door. Prim and Johanna followed in. Her sister held her dress and Johanna had a small hat box in her arms.

“Good morning,” Laurel greeted her with a soft smile. “All the other ladies are downstairs. I thought you’d want some quiet before having to get ready.” She sat on Katniss’ side and her crystal blue eyes filled with tears. “I can’t believe you’re getting married today!”

“Oh, Mom.” Katniss took her hand. “It’s all going to be okay—and we knew that this would happen eventually. Except for when you thought that I was a lesbian and all. On the other hand, lesbians can get married, too. I think it was more about finding ‘the one.’”

“Peeta is a good man. Your father and I are really proud of you, Katniss.” Her mother kissed her forehead before wiping her eyes quickly. “I was supposed to come and ask for your breakfast order.”

“I am craving French toast,” she told her mother and Laurel stood up quickly.

“Take a shower and by the time you’re out, it’ll be waiting for you.” Katniss nodded once more and her mother clamped her hand over her mouth to stop her sob. “I’m fine…I’m fine…”

Her mother quickly disappeared and Johanna went to close the door behind her.

“They’re all downstairs crying,” Johanna informed her with a grin. “Don’t be surprised if your French toast is salty.” Katniss slowly got out of bed. “How you feeling?”

“Oh, wow.” She looked down at her stomach. “I never realized how much my stomach dropped until now.”

“Weird,” Prim said as she hung Katniss’ dress by the changing panel. “Your dress is all steamed and Annie is coming in an hour to help you into it. How she knows how to work this dress is beyond me. Last night, she called me and asked if she should get some extra breasts for her dress.”

“That doesn’t sound strange,” Katniss replied as she towards the private bathroom.

“It was two in the morning,” Prim said with a grin. Her eyes went to her sister’s hand. “Nice ring.”

Katniss looked down at her engagement ring, her heart leaping at the sight of it. For a moment, she had thought it was only a dream—seeing Peeta come to her. The touch of his lips, however, still burned against her own hours later.

“I heard you had a visitor last night,” Johanna said as she took out Katniss’ veil. “What did he tell you?”

“That we’re going to be okay,” she replied before going into the bathroom.

++++++

It was when she was adjusting her veil that she felt the twinge. No, it wasn’t a twinge—it was pain.

Effie had mentioned Braxton-Hicks contractions during their appointment. However, pregnancy brain seemed to suddenly cloud everything that her doctor had told her. For a moment, Katniss contemplated calling Effie to ask her.

Peeking out the window, she could see that more than half the guests were already seated.

Timing—it suddenly came to her. Effie had said something about timing.

Katniss recalled feeling a spasm during her shower—and she had chalked it up to the new feeling of heaviness in her stomach. It was supposed to be normal, wasn’t it?

“Katniss?” She turned to see her mother in a soft peach dress, her shoulder length hair in a low-side bun. “You okay there, sweetie?”

“Of course.” Katniss twirled for her mother. “I look like a bride, don’t I?”

“Definitely,” Laurel replied as she led Katniss to the standing mirror in the corner. Katniss took in her appearance—the cap sleeve jersey-fabric cream dress with the peach skirt and lace overlay, the dark hair in a large low bun, and delicate veil with the soft feather clips that swept over her eyes. “You are radiant, Katniss.”

She held out a necklace with a small pendant and clipped it around Katniss’ neck. The pendant was a gold, ray-filled sun. “And now, you are radiant as the sun. This was your grandmother’s—and now it is your something old.”

“Thanks, Mom,” she replied and grinned at her from the mirror.

Then the pain came once more—ten minutes. Ten minutes since the last time.

“Katniss?” She turned to see Hazelle smiling sweetly at her. Going to Katniss, the older woman slipped a faux-pearl bracelet with an elastic band onto her wrist. “I didn’t get to have a wedding as you know. Jacob and I eloped—but I wanted something to make me feel a little bridal.”

Katniss reached over to wipe the stray tear from Hazelle’s chick. “So Jacob and I stopped at Coney Island and he played one of those crane games so I could have this. Johanna wore it when she married Gale. And Posy will wear it for hers—if she ever decides to get married. Today, you’re wearing it as your something borrowed.”

Katniss played with the delicate faux-pearl and met Hazelle’s eyes. “I’ll take really good care of it.”

Angelica joined her side soon after. The tall, buxom woman wore a fitted, sharply cut apricot dress and matching spiked heels. She placed her hands on Katniss’s shoulders—another wave hit her and she let out a slow breath as she smiled at Johanna’s mother.

They were getting intense.

They weren’t supposed to.

Holy shit—she was in labor.

“I’m going to keep this short, honey,” Angelica told her. “You know me and you know my Jo enough to get that we’re not good with sentimental stuff.” She pressed a blue, silk handkerchief into Katniss’ hands. “This is from Italy—it was the only souvenir that I bought during my honeymoon—because we were broke from just putting a down payment on our house. It’s your something blue. Stuff it in your bosom, just in case.”

“Thanks.” Katniss placed a kiss on the woman’s cheek.

Last, but definitely not least, was Anna in her honey colored designer dress.

“Come here, sweetheart.” Katniss rushed over into Anna’s embrace. “I know we had a hard time with each other at first.” They both chuckled at the woman’s words. “But you’ve shown me how great of a man that my Peeta is. Despite my resistance of letting go, you both have stuck it through. And I just wanted to say thank you for loving Peeta and for bringing my first grandchild into the world.”

She kissed Katniss’ forehead. “My husband and I don’t just love you because you’re our son’s wife. We love you because you’re intelligent, compassionate, and strong. You’re going to be a wonderful wife and mother. And I’m proud of you, Katniss.” She took Katniss’ hand and placed a key in it. “This is yours and Peeta’s something new.”

Looking down at the key, Katniss glanced to her mother-in-law. “Mom, I don’t understand.”

“We’ll explain later,” Anna told her with a grin. “Right now, you have to get married.”

A pained gasp escaped her mouth and Anna looked at her in concern. “You alright?”

“I’m fine!” This contraction was lasting a little longer than she thought, but she gave Anna a smile. “I just can’t believe that in a few minutes I’m getting married—YAY...”

Anna raised her brows, patting Katniss’ shoulder understandingly. “The sooner you pop this baby out—the sooner you can have a drink. Because you _really_ need it.”

“The sooner this wedding is over—the sooner we call all have drinks!” Johanna called out, raising her bouquet in triumph. Then she looked over at Katniss. “Except for the bride—sorry, darling.”

“My ass,” Katniss retorted, her hand going to caress her belly. “Just keep in mind what happened two nights ago.”

“I really enjoyed scrubbing the word ‘Peeniss’ off my husband’s face—he had a business meeting later that day, you know.”

“Well, now you know who you’re messing with,” she told her as another spasm hit. Blowing out her breath, she looked around. “Where’s my bouquet?”

“Here!” Annie rushed over to her, her green eyes clearer than usual. “The guys wanted to add a few extra _accents_ to it; but I threatened cruel and unusual punishment. And I tend to lean towards unusual when punishing.”

A loud knock came and Glimmer appeared through the open doorway, Francis in her arm, as she glowed in a dark rose dress. “Groomsmen are outside and Mr. Everdeen is waiting at the bottom of the stairs to walk the bride down the aisle,” she informed them quickly. Her eyes met Katniss’. “You look like a dream.”

“Thanks, Glimmer,” she said through her slight grimace.

“Everyone needs to get downstairs—NOW!” Glimmer called out.

There was a sudden scramble as everyone kissed Katniss goodbye before walking out of the room. The last person to leave was Prim.

The two sisters embraced.

“This is the one—make it count,” Prim told her.

Katniss laughed. “That’s what you told me the night I met Peeta.”

Prim grinned at her. “And you really did make it count, didn’t you? I’ll see you out there.” Her sister kissed her cheek quickly. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.” Prim disappeared out the door and Katniss let out the pained breath that she was holding in. “I made it this far—I can do this.”

Katniss suddenly realized how much it meant for her to be married before this baby came. There was just an order to things—you meet someone, you get married, you have a baby. So number two and three were a bit switched.

However, if she just made it down the aisle—then everything would be back in order.

Taking a deep breath, Katniss gripped her bouquet and headed out into the hallway.

“Five minutes apart,” she told herself. The timing was on-point but the intensity was increasing. “Holy shit…”

Reaching the top of the stairs, Katniss took a deep breath and met her father’s eyes as she walked down the stairs. She could see her father’s trembling mouth and bit back her own tears. There had been a moment during these past months when she thought that he wouldn’t be here to do this.

“Dad.” She reached the bottom of the stairs and he took her hand. “What do you think?”

“My God, Katniss.”  Her father sucked in his tears. “You’re just so breathtaking.”

“I’m really glad you’re here,” Katniss told him.

Gabe guided her arm through his. “Me, too.”

++++++

Peeta could immediately tell that something was wrong.

Katniss was beautiful in her flowing dress—she was a goddess. She smiled at the flashing cameras as she walked down the aisle with her father. However behind the grin, he could see her grimace every so often.

When their eyes met, Peeta let out the breath that he been holding since he stood at the end of the aisle. Behind the wedding party was the ocean that was unbelievably calm. A soothing breeze danced through the air and the heat of the sun was tempered by the silk tent pitched for the wedding.

“You look beautiful,” Peeta told her and she grinned at him—a genuine one. Looking to Gabe, he held out his hand. “Thank you, sir.”

Shaking it, he pulled Peeta in for a brief hug. “Take care of our girl.” Gabe quickly kissed Katniss’ cheek before joining his wife.

“Dearly beloved…” the officiant began as he and Katniss joined hands.

So their ceremony began—along with the intermittent crushing hand grips from his bride. Every few minutes, she would let out a small breath. However, if Katniss spied him looking then she would go back to smiling.

“Are you okay?” he asked her as they walked to light their unity candle.

“I’m perfectly fine,” Katniss replied, though he could see her shaking as she brought her own candle to their large unity candle in the middle.

“You’re lying.” He watched her brow furrow in concentration. “You’re in pain.”

It clicked suddenly—the last one was five minutes ago. Peeta remembered her slow breaths getting longer as she let them out and he remembered that they had learned this method in Lamaze.

For when labor started.

Holy shit—Katniss was in labor.

“You’re not okay!” he whispered into her ear as they joined everyone back under the flowered archway. “You’re in labor.”

Katniss smiled tightly. “I’m fine,” she replied. “The pain is not that bad.”

“We need to go to the hospital,” Peeta informed her. “Now.”

“No.” She gripped his hands—practically crushing them. “We are _not_ going anywhere until we are married.”

The officiant looked to him, “Peeta, do you take Katniss to be your lawful wedded wife—“

“Yeah, yeah—I do,” he told the man swiftly. “Now her.”

The man pushed up his glasses and sniffed before continuing with Katniss.

“And, do you, Katniss, take Peeta to be your lawful wedded husband…” Peeta watched her breathe shallowly out—they were getting closer.

“—I do!” Katniss suddenly shouted. She looked at the man irritated. “Now, the rings!”

“Okay…” the officiant said as he eyed the two. “Who has the rings?”

Katniss practically ripped the ring away from Prim’s fingers and he turned to take the ring from Haymitch’s outstretched palm.

Quickly, they put the rings on each other’s fingers.

“Okay, finish this!” Peeta rushed the man.

Around them, he could see the crowd talking worriedly amongst themselves. Effie stood up, met his eyes quickly, and took out her cell phone before rushing back into the house.

“By the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Katniss nodded and Peeta took her face in his hands to kiss her soundly.

His wife ripped her mouth away to let out a sudden painful wail.

Scooping Katniss up bridal-style, Peeta rushed down the aisle, ignoring the awkward applause. Haymitch and Prim followed behind them quickly.

“What the fuck is going on?” Prim asked as she looked worriedly at her huffing sister.

“MY WIFE IS IN LABOR—THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON!”

* * *

 

It’s happening—insert excitement gif here.

I’m sure that everyone is wondering how Katniss is even walking at this point. It’s all about her regular routine of being on her feet during her hospital rounds. Plus, she is just one of the lucky ones—even Glimmer envies her energy at this point of the pregnancy.

Braxton-Hicks are false labor pains and often mistaken for actual labor pains. They’re not supposed to hurt, which should’ve been Katniss’ first indication, but well…it’s that pregnancy brain. Also, they don’t come in intervals or get stronger.

I love a little ‘Peeniss’ reference, don’t you?

Also, did you see my 'Knocked Up' references?

At the beginning of Part One, Prim whispers something in Katniss’ ear before leaving her with Peeta. It is revealed in this chapter, coming full circle…

Also, the key that Anna gives Katniss…we’ll get to that in the next chapter.

Hellos, reviews and comments are welcomed on Tumblr, FF and AO3!

So--boy or girl? You’ll find out next chapter.

Until then, JLaLa


	11. Part Eleven: Delivery

The last chapter—it’s been a crazy ride in this little version of ‘Knocked Up’!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, my beta, for getting this out!

One

Part Eleven: Delivery

Labor hurt.

Whoever told Katniss that it was a beautiful experience was a fucking liar.

Because it wasn’t beautiful, it was _horrible_ —full of cramps that seemed to last forever.

And they made her want to do things to Peeta—not very nice things.

For example, as he patted her forehead with a cool towel—she visualized herself strangling him with it.

“Drugs, please!” she pleaded with Effie as she lay in her hospital bed.

“That wasn’t part of the birthing plan, Katniss,” Effie said calmly as she looked at the machine by Katniss’ bed to check on the baby’s heart rate, a pair of scrubs in her hands. She was still wearing the full-skirt of her dress from the wedding.

“FUCK THE PLAN!” she screamed as another contraction ripped through her body.

“These contractions are on top of each other,” the woman responded. “So we’re getting there. I have to say, Katniss—you really held it together for the ceremony.”

Peeta and Katniss’ families burst in, both sets of grandparents along with siblings, as well as Johanna and Gale. Effie went to the nurse who had led them in.

“Prep her for delivery and get her husband some scrubs.”  The doctor looked at the Everdeens and Mellarks, giving them a smile. “Get ready to meet the newest member of your family in an hour or two.”

Katniss pulled herself out of the painful haze to look at her husband. “Peeta?”

He approached her cautiously. “Yes?”

Tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I have to warn you—while I’m still normal,” she told him tiredly. “I’m going to be a nightmare; a crazy bitch of a nightmare.” Katniss looked over at their families. “And I can’t deal with them while I push this meatloaf out of somewhere that is as small as a toothpaste tube opening.”

Peeta nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll talk to them.”

“And Peeta?” He turned to her and she reached for his hand. “Thank you.”

His lips fell into a smile. “For what?”

“For teaching me how to drink a Lemon Drop.”

++++++

“What do you mean that we can’t come in while she delivers?” Laurel asked incredulously. “I’m her mother!”

“I understand that,” Peeta told her diplomatically. “But we have to do this alone. We’re adults—married adults.”

“Who will help time her contractions?” Anna asked him. “Do you even have the Lamaze breathing down?”

“LISTEN!” Peeta suddenly called out. “This is OUR baby—not anyone else’s! MINE AND KATNISS’ BABY! I belong in that room because I am the father—”

He looked around at all them—the Mellarks, the Everdeens, the Masons, and the Hawthornes, as well as Haymitch, who had just joined them minutes earlier. Peeta’s roommates sat across from the families, uncomfortable in the sterile setting.

“YOU SEE THIS AREA? THIS IS FOR ALL OF YOU!” Peeta pointed down the hall. “THAT ROOM IS OURS! SO UNLESS I ASK YOU TO COME IN—STAY OUT OF IT!” He stared everyone down. “Now, does everyone understand?”

They all nodded in shock.

“Mr. Mellark?” Peeta looked to see a nurse standing before him, her eyes wide from coming in during his tirade. “Dr. Trinket wanted me to show you the changing room so you can get into your scrubs.” He took a deep breath and nodded before disappearing down the hallway, not bothering to look at the stunned crowd behind him.

“Damn—Peeta threw it down!” Thresh suddenly said from his seat. “Didn’t I say that he would finally blow up on delivery day?” He stood up and looked to Finnick and Cato. “PAY UP, FUCKERS!” The two boys threw money at their roommate.

“He yelled at me,” Anna said with a pout and her husband put an arm around her.

“Me, too,” Laurel said and Gabe gave her a sympathetic smile. She suddenly grinned. “I think they’re going to be okay.”

++++++

**Hour One**

“Giving birth seems wicked boring,” Annie groaned as she moved her head from side to side. She looked over at Gale and Johanna. “So how was it for you?”

Johanna smiled at her. “For me, it was painful until the drugs.”

“Sounds bad…” Annie responded as she played with her hair. She looked to Gale. “So does her vagina feel any different now that a giant baby head has popped out of it?”

He stared at her for a moment. “Huh?”

“Does it feel different? Like, is it like throwing a hot dog down a hallway down there?” Annie continued, her eyes penetrating the man.

Gale looked over at Finnick. “Do I have to answer?”

“I find that the more you don’t answer, the more personal they’ll get,” Finnick replied.

++++++

“Peeta?” Katniss looked to him, tears from the pain of her last contraction glistening off her cheeks. “I’ve learned a very important lesson from all this.”

“What is it?” he responded with a smile.

“Sex is bad.” She laid back against her pillow. “I mean, really bad.”

Peeta sat next to her on the bed. “Is it really all that bad?”

Taking the cup of ice chips on the side table, he took a piece and ran it over her lips. She felt the familiar shiver of his touch run over her before Peeta leaned down to kiss her softly. Katniss let his tongue brush over her and she sighed against him as he pulled away.

Katniss stared at him incredulously.

“What?” he asked.

“I can’t believe how seriously turned on I am right now,” she told him and he chuckled before placing a kiss on her nose.

“Well, I’m about to obliterate that feeling.” They looked to see Effie approaching them as she took a pair of disposable gloves from the holder by the door. “It’s time for me to check how dilated you are.”

++++++

**Hour Two**

“So what’s the deal with you two?” Prim asked as she sat across from Cal and Will.

Will smiled handsomely at her. “What do you mean?”

“What she means—” Johanna started from where she sat. “Is how the hell are you both still single?”

Will leaned forward, adjusting the tie that he was still wearing and winked at Johanna.

“I have very peculiar tastes,” he told them.

“Like _Fifty Shades_ kind of tastes?” Prim asked, her cerulean eyes wide.

The man didn’t answer; instead, he seamlessly took off his tie and leaning forward once more, quickly knotted Prim’s wrists with it.

“Holy shit—I know that we’re technically in-laws, but I’m totally down to see that again—in private,” she said as she pulled at the knot in amazement.

“Aren’t you dating Rory?” Will asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, tilting her head. “Ehh…”

“HEY!” said Rory, who had been sitting with his brother and sister-in-law. He rushed over and put an arm around Prim. “I can do that, too!”

Will smiled at the couple. “I think you’re in good hands.” Getting up, he headed over to check on his mother and father.

Prim looked at Rory. “I was just kidding,” she said as she batted her lashes at him and held up her tied wrists. “Want to help me out of this?”

“I’ve been trying to for the last minute,” Rory said as he concentrated on getting Prim out of the tie.

Prim looked at Cal. “And how about you? Are you also into the whole ‘tie-me-up, tie-me-down’ thing?”

“No.” Cal sat back and smiled. “I actually have a girlfriend.”

Johanna scoffed. “You lie.”

“I do!” Cal protested.

“Hey guys!” They all looked to see Rue standing before them in a pair of deep blue scrubs. She looked around. “I can see that Katniss is in labor—seeing as 90% of the people in this waiting room are all family.”

“During the wedding,” Prim said as she held her tied wrists up for a struggling Rory and Rue started for a moment.

“What’s going on here?” Rue asked.

Prim grinned at her easily. “Trying to get out of this mess that Will just left me with.”

“Here.” Rue went on her knees and looked over the knots before pulling one side out, unraveling it easily. She handed the tie to Prim. “Here you go.” Rue nodded her goodbyes. “I’ll come check on everyone later.”

“HEY WAIT!” Cal said suddenly. He stood up quickly and went over to Rue. “I’m sorry I didn’t invite you to the wedding—”

“Wait! Rue is your girlfriend?” Anna said from where she sat.

“Ex-girlfriend,” Rue corrected. She looked at Cal, her arms crossed. “You can’t be someone’s girlfriend when they don’t acknowledge your existence.” She gave everyone a tight smile. “Have a good day.”

Cal looked pleadingly at her. “RUE—”

“DROP DEAD, CAL!” Rue quickly walked through the double doors going to the hospital rooms.

Richard looked at his wife. “I like her.”

++++++

“Okay, Katniss,” Effie said in front of her. “BREATHE AND PUSH!”

 

Peeta’s wife was a motherfucking warrior.

Their obstetrician told him that Katniss must have been having contractions for most of the day to be this far along in the labor. Katniss had held on—determined to marry him—even though she was in a lot of discomfort.

And she had sacrificed a chance to get the epidural that would stop her from the pain that she was currently feeling.

“I FEEL EVERYTHING!” Katniss cried, her moan drawing out. She looked to him, her face flushed. “Make it stop…”

“Sweetheart,” he said into her ear. “You’re almost there. And I’m so proud of you, Katniss.”

She leaned her head towards him. “You do it… it seriously feels like someone put a case of dynamite to my vagina—it’s not going to look the same after this!”

“Whatever it looks like, I’m going to think it looks beautiful,” Peeta reasoned.

“You don’t understand,” she cried. “I’ve seen Johanna’s and even Glimmer’s—you know how beautiful she is! There is one part of her that is not so beautiful—and it is down there!”

“What are you going to do? You’re already in labor,” he told her gently.

Katniss looked at him helplessly. “Hold it in?”

“Katniss, about your next contraction,” Effie called out over the suction sound that was making Peeta nauseous. “During the next one, you’re going to bear down—let’s get the baby’s head out.” She met Peeta’s eyes. “This is an important push for her.”

“Katniss,” he started. “Just hold my hand.” Pressing his forehead to hers, he looked into her watery greys. “Look at me and just concentrate on me.”

“I-I-I can’t…” She sobbed against him. “I’m so tired and it hurts…”

“You can.” His lips went to forehead. “You can do it… because you are the strongest woman I know. I could see that right from the start—from the moment I looked into your eyes in that bar—I could see that there was a lot of fight in you. And I just fell in love with you, right then and there.”

“Push, Katniss,” Effie instructed.

His wife gave him a closed-lipped smile before she closed her eyes to concentrate on her push. She held his hand tightly, her forehead falling onto the crook of his neck.

The room suddenly went silent.

Katniss let out a breath, a watery sob escaping her mouth. “AHH…”

And then there was another cry—their baby’s.

A nurse rushed to Effie, handing her a blanket, and their doctor grinned at them.

“Speaking of vaginas—congratulations, you have a daughter.”

Peeta turned to his wife, who was grinning from ear to ear. “We have a daughter.”

She laughed and reached up to kiss him. “I heard.”

“Mrs. Mellark?” They looked to the nurse, who was holding the little bundle with the pink cap. Carefully, the nurse put their baby in Katniss’ arms. “Just support her head.”

“Oh gosh,” Katniss said in a hoarse voice. She looked down at the wrapped baby in her arms. “She has my hair—it’s going to be a nightmare for her during humid days.”

He chuckled at her words. “I’ll learn how to braid hair then.” Their daughter’s skin was ivory and her hair was the color of coal—like Katniss’. The baby slightly opened her eyes to reveal the cobalt in them, the color of his mother’s eyes. “She’s beautiful—like you.”

“I didn’t think that I could love anyone in just of matter of seconds.” Katniss gazed at their daughter and then over at him. “But you two are exceptions to that rule.”

++++++

Katniss opened her eyes at the sound of Peeta’s soft humming. Turning, she found him cradling their daughter as he paced the floor.

He met her eyes and beamed. “Hey.” Walking over to the hospital bed, Peeta kissed her gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I just gave birth to a baby,” she retorted with a soft chuckle. “How about you?”

“Like you just gave birth to a baby,” he replied before sitting next to her on the bed. He held up his wrapped hand. “It just needs to be iced for a day or two.”

There was a knock on the door and Effie stepped inside, along with Haymitch.

“How are the new parents doing?” their doctor asked quietly.

“Scared shitless,” Katniss told her. Haymitch laughed roughly and she met the older man’s eyes. “Your girlfriend just yanked a baby out of me.”

“She can be a cruel woman,” he replied before going over to Katniss and kissing her cheek. “So did your little one inherit Peeta’s giant head?”

“Hey!” Peeta called out in a whisper as he rocked the snoozing baby. “My daughter’s head is not big.” He looked down at her adoringly. “She’s perfect.”

“I have to agree,” Katniss added. “She actually is perfect.”

“So does this perfect baby have a name?” Effie asked as she went to them.

Katniss met Peeta’s eyes and he nodded in consent.

She looked at the woman in front of her and grinned. “Elizabeth.”

Effie raised her brows in confusion before smiling. “But…that’s _my_ name!”

“Wait—that’s your full name?” Haymitch suddenly asked.

Effie snorted at him. “Yes, Effie is a nickname. My full name is Elizabeth Francine. Somehow, as a kid, it just morphed into Effie.”

“You really helped us a lot,” Peeta said to the woman. “You’ve been with us from the beginning and you’ve been on our team—even when a lot of people were doubting us.” He placed Elizabeth in the doctor’s arms. “We really can’t thank you enough.”

“It’s been a privilege to be your doctor,” Effie told them as she gazed down at her goddaughter. She smiled at the couple. “I’m proud of you both.”

“Thanks, Effie,” Katniss replied. “Now, you’re officially part of the family—being Elizabeth’s godmother and all.”

“You’re the godmother of their little spawn?” Haymitch smirked. “I guess you’re stuck with me now.”

“Not quite.” Effie bounced their daughter in her arms, adjusting the blanket as she cooed at the baby. “But I guess if you married me, then I would be stuck with you—forever.”

Haymitch put an arm around her. “Are you proposing to me?”

Effie broke her stare to look up at the man and smile. “I guess I am.”

++++++

“Mom—I can’t breathe!”

Laurel pulled away from her daughter, wiping her eyes as she pulled away.

“Sorry, honey,” her mother said with a watery smile. “I just can’t believe that you’ve had this perfect little baby!” She looked over at Gabe, who was holding Elizabeth in his arms. Laurel went to them, touching the baby’s full cheek and her granddaughter’s lips perked in a small smile. “Adorable.”

Gabe looked to his daughter, who he sat next to on the hospital bed. “She is definitely a beauty.”

“I can’t take all the credit,” Katniss replied with a smile. She looked over at Peeta, who was currently being embraced by his parents. “My husband contributed half of her genetics.”

Peeta pulled away from his parents to look over at her and grin.

The door to the room opened and Prim, along with Cal and Will, entered the room, teddy bears and balloons in each of their hands—Katniss’ sister was dragging the biggest bear with her.

“Everyone, out of the way!” Prim said excitedly, dropping the giant bear to the ground. “I need to see my niece!” She rushed over, stopping as she saw the yellow blanketed bundle in Gabe’s arms. “She’s actually here—and she’s so cute!”

Will and Cal went to Katniss, each giving her a hug.

“I hope you gave Peeta hell during the delivery,” Cal joked before going to his brother and ruffling his hair.

“A lot of it wasn’t deserved,” she told her brother-in-law.

“Well, if he doesn’t wake up when the baby cries and makes you get up, then I will be happy to fly over to the East Coast to kick him in the nuts for you,” Will told her before kissing the top of her head. He looked over at Peeta. “You did good, little brother. This woman is one of a kind.”

Anna went to Gabe and smiled shyly. “May I?”

Carefully, Gabe placed the baby in Anna’s arms. The woman looked down at little girl before looking to Peeta, then Katniss.

“I’m proud of you both,” she said in a choked whisper. Anna placed a kiss on top of Elizabeth’s head. “She even smells beautiful.”

“She has your eyes,” Peeta told his mother as he approached them.

“Then she’ll be a real looker,” Richard added in a gruff voice.

“So what’s her name?” Prim asked.

“Her name is Elizabeth Clover Mellark,” Peeta told them as he looked down at his daughter in Anna’s arms.

“Why the middle name Clover?” Gabe asked.

“It means ‘luck’—because you never know what you’re going to get.”

They turned to see Gale and Johanna, along with Jenna. Johanna rushed over to her best friend as Gale went to Peeta.

“In Peeta’s case, he sees having Elizabeth at the end of all of this as being good luck,” Gale continued as he shook Peeta’s hand. “Congratulations.”

Peeta grinned. “Thanks for getting the reference.”

Gale smiled as he lifted Jenna into his arms; the little girl rubbed her eyes groggily, ready for a nap.

“I was there when you decided to get on this wild ride.” He kissed his daughter’s cheek. “It’s going to be great.”

Johanna, who was hugging Katniss, turned to her husband.

“I’m glad you feel that way—because I want another baby,” she said before rushing over to hug Peeta.

“Sure, honey—” Gale did a double-take, his face paling at the realization of her words. “What?”

++++++

“Oh…hello…Lizzie,” Annie said as she waved her hand in front of the baby. Her green eyes widened as the baby yawned, her pink lips stretching before pursing her lips. “She’s so tiny—not at all painful to push out of your hoo-hah.”

“Trust me, it was painful. She’s much more solid than she looks,” Katniss responded with a smile. She looked at the group in front of her. “Do any of you want to hold Liz?”

Cato, Finnick and Thresh stared down at the infant in her arms.

“Uh…I haven’t washed my hands,” Finnick said.

Thresh stepped back, “I just got off work, so I smell.”

“I just don’t want to,” Cato told her as he eyed the squirming baby.

“Guys,” Peeta said as he walked back into the room. “She’s a baby—not a virus.” Going to Katniss, he lifted their daughter from her arms before walking over to Cato. “Just hold her.”

Peeta placed her in Cato’s arms. Katniss watched the man struggle for a bit before finally nestling Liz’s head in the crook of his arm.

“She isn’t so bad,” their friend said after a moment as he walked with her in his arms, his eyes suddenly soft. “And she’s not as funny looking as I thought.”

“HEY!” Katniss yelled. “That’s our kid that you’re talking about.”

“Here,” Thresh said. “Let me take her.” Cato reluctantly helped his friend take hold of the little one. “Hey, Lizzie-bird—Uncle Thresh here. So I’m sure that you’re a little underwhelmed by your father—“

“Seriously, Thresh?” Peeta scowled at him. “I will kick you out of this room.”

“Dude—will you let me finish?” Thresh looked back down at the baby. “But he’s actually a pretty good guy and meeting your mother—who, by the way, is so far out of his league—”

“THRESH!”

“Calm your tits, Peeta!” Thresh told the man. “Anyway, they make each other better, so I think you lucked out, kid. You’re going to be okay.” He met Peeta’s eyes, then Katniss’. “You’re all going to be okay.”

“Let me hold her!” Finnick suddenly called out and he held out his arms. “GIMME!”

“This is not like passing a bong,” Thresh told him as he helped his friend. “Just be careful.”

“I will be careful! Who are you, her bodyguard?” Finnick held the infant, his face lighting up as he looked down at her. “This isn’t so bad.”

A small cry escaped the baby’s mouth, followed by a plaintive wail.

Finnick’s hazed eyes suddenly cleared. “Oh shit, I broke her—“

“She’s probably hungry,” Katniss said patiently.

Peeta took their daughter from Finnick and placed her in Katniss’ arms. As his wife began to undo the buttons of her gown, he heard a shuffle and turned to see his friends, eyes wide, as she readied herself to pull down the cup of her bra.

“Hey perverts,” Annie suddenly called out. “I think Peeta would appreciate you not staring at his wife’s giant rack—even though it’s totally unavoidable.”

The boys had the decency to look somewhat ashamed.

“Thanks, Annie,” Peeta said before glaring over at the guys—who were suddenly interested in the ceiling.

“No problem,” she responded with a bright smile. “Can I ask you something?”

Peeta nodded. “Sure.”

Annie looked curiously at Katniss breastfeeding the baby. “Have you ever tasted her breast milk?”

++++++

Time seemed to pass quicker now that they had Elizabeth.

Peeta moved into Katniss’ pool house once Effie discharged them from the hospital. Lizzie was early but perfectly healthy and within a week, their daughter grew to the appropriate weight.

Their daughter was spoiled by her grandparents—clothes from the grandmothers and toys from the grandfathers. Katniss spent a lot of the time making an inventory of her presents; it helped in deciding what to keep and what to return or donate to charity.

Since their daughter was early, it gave Katniss a little more time to work on tying up loose ends before they left. Peeta continued to work for Sae, as well as be mentored by the woman on how to run a bakery efficiently. There was also the task of finding a place to live close to Johns Hopkins.

Katniss looked through her laptop at the ads for apartments.

“I have some money saved…” She began to write the amount that she had, along with what Peeta had saved during his time with Sae.

“What are you working on, sweetie?” Katniss looked up to see Anna carrying Lizzie in her arms. Her mother gave her a smile as she sat next to her at the dining table. “You look stressed out.”

She and Peeta were spending the day at the Mellark house. They had purchased a mid-sized SUV for the drive to Baltimore and Peeta was doing some maintenance on it, along with her father-in-law.

“I haven’t found a place for us yet,” Katniss told her worriedly. “I thought I would have time after the wedding to secure an apartment; but Liz came—and now we’re strapped for a home.”

Anna adjusted the bib on her granddaughter before looking back to Katniss.

“Katniss, did you forget the key that I gave you?” she asked curiously. “It’s not a big deal. I have another copy and so does Richard—”

“I have it in my bag,” Katniss interrupted before reaching into her purse and pulling out her keychain. She found the key that Anna had given her before the wedding. “What about it?”

“There was going to be a big introduction to this present—” she paused to kiss the top of the baby’s head, “But then we got this wonderful surprise and so it never really happened.”

They heard the door from the garage open and Peeta, along with his father, entered, both in oil-stained shirts and identical smiles on their faces. Her husband grinned at her handsomely as he went to the sink to wash his hands.

“What’s going on?” he asked before sitting next to her.

“Mom was just telling me about our wedding present,” she told him.

Peeta looked over at Anna. “The key?”

“I was about to tell Katniss what the key belongs to,” Anna informed him. The woman looked up to see Richard, holding out a folder for her, and she smiled gratefully at her husband. “You read my mind.”

“That’s my job,” Richard replied before sitting next to her.

“I know that you don’t like us butting in, but we got this idea from Haymitch,” she told them. “So blame him.” Anna handed the folder to Katniss with her free hand. “Go ahead—open it.”

Katniss opened the file folder and her eyes zeroed on the title. “It’s a deed.” She looked over it quickly before turning to her in-laws pointedly. “Is this a house key?”

“Mom, Dad—you know how we feel about this,” Peeta began. “We appreciate the thought—“

“It’s not a house,” Anna said quickly. “It’s a commercial property close to the hospital campus.” She turned to Peeta. “For your bakery.”

Peeta’s eyes went wide. “My what?”

“Your bakery,” Richard repeated with a grin. “Sae didn’t give you all those recipes so they could just sit in some desk drawer. Haymitch told us all the great work that you were doing at Sae’s place and how her business had doubled since you’ve come along.” He looked to his wife before continuing. “We know that you’re not in the right spot to get a business loan—so we applied in our name.”

“But we won’t be in your face,” Anna told them. She looked to her son. “We would be your silent partners—emphasis on silent.” She smiled softly. “We think you can do it, Peeta.”

“Wow—” Peeta looked to Katniss. “What do you think?”

“I think that you and Liz are going to have a lot of fun working in your bakery,” she said with a grin.

“Don’t think that we didn’t think of your living situation,” Richard said to his daughter. “There’s a two bedroom apartment above the bakery. It’s small but comfortable, and it will be enough for the three of you.”

The couple looked at one another, trying to process the news that Peeta’s parents had just given them.

After a moment, Anna spoke, “Are you pissed at us?”

Katniss burst into tears.

Effie had warned her about the whole post-partum issue. She had brushed off the whole thing, thinking that it would not happen to her.

Until now.

The gesture from Peeta’s parents had been a great one. It was the realization that they believed in Katniss and especially in Peeta, who had wanted nothing but to make his parents proud. Standing up quickly, she went to Richard and threw her arms around her father-in-law. After, she went to Anna, still holding her granddaughter, and kissed her on the cheek.

“I think that’s a no,” Peeta said as she returned to her seat. Her husband rubbed her back as she struggled to pull it together. “Thank you.”

“Of course, son,” Anna said. “You’re going to do great things.”

Finally, Katniss looked to him and smiled through her teary eyes.

“We’re going to be okay,” she told him. “Just like you said.”

++++++

“She looks bigger every time I see her,” Gabe said to them as he held Liz in his arms. Her bright blue eyes stared up at the man.

“You just saw her two days ago,” Katniss said with a grin.

“Exactly,” he replied. “Time can go very fast.” Her father smiled at her and Peeta. “I mean—look at yourselves about nine months ago.”

“I was still carrying cash in a rolled-up ball in my drawers,” Peeta said.

“I was spending my Saturdays with practical exams and Cup O’ Noodles,” Katniss added.

“Now here we are,” her father said and kissed his granddaughter’s forehead. “I know that your parents are partners in the bakery—but that means I get to buy my Lizzie a pony if she asks for one.”

“She might want a chemistry set instead,” Katniss joked.

“Or an easy-bake oven,” Peeta added.

“She can be a chemist and a pastry chef,” Gabe told them. “Just raise her to know that there are possibilities—and to always take chances.” He looked between them. “If her parents didn’t, she would have never existed.”

“We really threw you for a loop, didn’t we?” Peeta said to the man.

Gabe nodded. “A good one,” he replied. “That’s what life is—an infinite number of loops that we spend our time unraveling. And, if you’re lucky, you have somebody alongside you helping.”

Katniss met her father’s eyes. “I’m going to miss you so, so much.”

“I’m going to miss you both,” he responded. “Do great things together.”

++++++

“Peeta—I can’t sleep.” Katniss sat up in bed and looked at her husband, whose eyes were wide open.

He met her eyes. “I can’t either,” he whispered. “It’s our last night here.”

“I know,” she said before lying back down. “I’m scared.”

Peeta turned to her. “So am I.” He reached for her hand. “But I’m glad that I’m not alone in this.”

“I guess that’s what happens when you officially turn into an adult,” Katniss said to him.

“When did we grow up?” Peeta asked.

“Somewhere in-between your lemon-drops and a baby coming out of me,” she told him with a grin. “Yet, here we are—sleeping in my childhood bedroom.”

They would be leaving in the morning for their drive to Baltimore—an estimated week long trip with the included stops that needed to be made, especially with having Lizzie.

“I think it’s kind of fitting,” Peeta said. “Technically, we’re leaving our childhoods and arriving as adults on our own in Baltimore.”

“We’re not really losing our childhoods,” Katniss responded with a grin. “Our childhood innocence is in her.” She nodded her head at the small crib that Lizzie slept in. “So, whenever we’re worried—we’ll just look at her.”

“How do you do that?” Peeta reached to caress her cheek. “How do you make me feel like I can conquer the world?”

“Because you can,” Katniss replied simply.

There was a quiet knock on the door. Sitting up, they waited as the door opened and Prim peeked in.

“I was wondering if you could join me on the back porch,” Prim said. “Mom will watch Lizzie-bear.”

“What’s going on?” Peeta asked as he sat up.

“A quick nightcap,” his sister-in-law replied. “Dress warm.”

++++++

They both stepped out and found Prim and Rory, as well as Cal and Will waiting for them.

“Glad you could join us,” Prim said before whistling.

Cato, Thresh, Finnick and Annie joined them as they emerged from the side of the house. The door opened behind Katniss and Peeta – Gale and Johanna walked out along with Haymitch, who was carrying a bottle of champagne.

“What’s going on?” Peeta asked as Katniss gripped his hand.

“Since Lizzie came earlier than expected—we never got to have a proper wedding reception,” Prim said to them. “I didn’t get to do my speech and neither did Haymitch. So we’re having an impromptu one now.”

Katniss laughed, her smile bright even in darkness. “You’re all crazy.”

“Says the one whose one-night stand started all of this,” Johanna retorted. “Just let us have our moment!”

The couple sat on the porch seat decorated with veil material for them.

“So everyone, as Master of Ceremonies, I will be starting off our little reception,” Will said. “My co-master—” He looked to Cal, who bowed to them. “Will be introducing our first part.”

“Thank you,” Cal said to his brother. “I would like to call forward Peeta’s roommates and friends, Cato and Thresh, who will give a little backstory into our newlyweds.”

Everyone clapped lightly as Cato and Thresh stepped forward—dressed in their clubwear—and Peeta recognized the outfits as the same ones that they wore the night his life changed.

Thresh grinned at the couple. “They’re almost the same outfits, except for the shoes,” he told them. “Cato’s girl of the night threw up on both of our shoes before she stumbled away with her friends.”

“Music please,” Cato called out and Rory reached for his iPod.

_“A shot in the dark_   
_A past lost in space_   
_Where do I start?_   
_The past and the chase…”_

“It was a warm night, a little over nine months ago, that Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark met,” Cato began. “Katniss had just been accepted into Johns Hopkins and was celebrating with her sister, Prim, when she met a bartender named…Peeta.”

Thresh continued, telling the story of her experimentation with lemon-drops to Peeta’s ‘longing looks’ as she danced with Prim. He then continued onto the part of the night that had been fuzzy to both her and Peeta as the music switched.

_“I fly like paper, get high like planes_   
_If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name_   
_If you come around here, I make 'em all day_   
_I get one down in a second if you wait…”_

“It seemed that fate had found two people who were perfect for one another,” Thresh said. “Because the two could not dance for shit!” Everyone let out a laugh at his words. “Alcohol, while liberating them, could not even help two such rhythmless dancers.”

“However, while the beautiful Katniss could not dance inebriated,” Cato finished. “She was fast enough to pull our dear Peeta into a cab. And the rest, we can say, is history.”

Everyone clapped, including the couple.

“Thank you for reminding me that I cannot dance,” Katniss told them with a laugh.

“The floor is now open to anyone who would like to tell a story or has anything to say to the newlyweds,” Will called out.

Annie stepped up, smiling serenely at the couple, before taking a step back.

“I just wanted to tell you a story that took place about two months after Cato and Thresh’s story,” she started. “Peeta is usually the kind of guy who doesn’t really have a care in the world—but I knew that something was up when he started staring at our phone constantly.” She rocked on her feet, obviously tipsy. “I mean, Finnick and I had heard about the girl that Peeta had hooked up with—and he did do the ‘walk of shame’ into the apartment the next morning. And, of course, there were all those nights when he’d be alone in his room and we would hear—”

Prim put her hand up, “I think we get it.”

“Anyway, the day Katniss called, Peeta was in his room moping—or doing the other thing. When he got on the phone, I could see his whole face change,” Annie told them. “It was like the sun had finally come out for him.” She met Peeta’s eyes. “It’s going to suck having you gone. No one else keeps Tootsie Pops under their beds. I mean, Cato has an inflatable doll—”

“I think you’re done now!” Cato interrupted, his face flushed.

“Anyway,” Annie said softly as Finnick joined her. The couple handed them a Tootsie Pop bouquet. “We’re going to miss you both—don’t be strangers.”

Katniss took the bouquet, but not without noticing the small ruby ring on Annie’s finger. She looked over at Finnick, who put his arm around Annie. “You picked a good one, Finnick.”

He winked and kissed her cheek, before looking over at Peeta. “So did you.”

“I guess I’ll go next,” Gale said. “Seeing as my pool house is where you conceived Lizzie—we’re redecorating and sanitizingthe place, by the way.” He cleared his throat. “Katniss was never one to do impulsive things, but when she did—she went all out. So I knew it was different when she wanted us to meet this guy that she met at a club.”

“Katniss was freaked out,” Johanna continued. “She had banged this hot bartender and now she was knocked up with the guy’s kid.” She looked at her friend. “You must’ve taken like five or six tests—”

“Ten,” Katniss corrected her. “I took ten—no, wait—I took nine, because you took that last one just make sure that there wasn’t a mess up.”

“Anyway, I knew that Peeta was different when he met our Jenna,” Johanna said. “She can read people clearly—a trait that she obviously inherited from me. And she could tell that Peeta was one of the good guys. I’m glad that Jenna followed her gut.” Johanna stopped for a moment, her eyes suddenly watering. “Because Katniss has never been as happy as she is now.”

“And we’ve only ever wanted you to have what Johanna and I have,” Gale told his friend. “You chose well, Katniss.” He looked at Peeta and smiled. “And you believed in your luck.” Reaching into his pocket, Gale tossed a bag at the man. Peeta looked down to see a bag of green marshmallow clovers. “From my lucky charm to yours.”

“Continuing on,” Will said in a choked voice. Cal and Rory handed out cups to everyone, along with the open bottle of champagne. “We’re going to be hearing from the best man, Haymitch.”

Haymitch stepped in front of them. “I had something written down,” he began. “But then Katniss’ water broke in my car and I lost the speech in the scuffle.” The man looked down at both of them. “I just wanted to say that it takes a special couple to bring a crazy-ass set of people like us together, and to bring someone like me a beautiful fiancée like Effie. And it takes a special kind of person to see everything great about Peeta right off.” He looked at Katniss fondly. “So here’s to you, Katniss Mellark, for bringing out the best in my godson.”

Everyone raised their champagne glasses – even Katniss, who had been handed a glass with cider.

“Saving the best for last, the maid of honor – Primrose Everdeen,” Cal said.

“Thanks, big brother,” Prim said with a smile. “You should’ve brought Rue, by the way.”

“She had a late shift,” Cal informed her with an easy grin.

Prim turned to her sister. “I told you to make that one count—and you really followed through,” she said with a smile. “That’s the kind of person Katniss is—someone who you never have to worry about—because you know that they can take care of themselves. They don’t really need anyone. So you know that Peeta must be something special for him to have found a place in her heart. Because once you’re in Katniss’ heart—you’re in there forever.”  She met Peeta’s eyes. “Remember that, Peeta. I love you both and I’m going to miss you both so damn much.” She wiped her eyes as she raised her glass. “To Mr. and Mrs. Peeta Mellark!”

They all drank silently.

“Any last words of advice for the newlyweds?” Will asked.

Prim grinned. “Use protection from now on.”

“Pick your battles,” Gale added.

Johanna grin. “Sometimes fights can be ended with only a kiss and if not—a hand job.”

“Don’t drink anything that you can’t pronounce,” Haymitch told them.

“Put the toilet seat down,” Annie suggested.

“Always give her your jacket,” Finnick said.

“Don’t forget where you came from,” Thresh advised before finishing his glass.

Cato snorted. “Don’t wear your nice shoes to the club.”

Cal looked to them. “Keep love your priority.”

“Lean on each other,” Will choked out in a thick voice.

Finally, it came to Rory, who smiled at the couple playfully. “Don’t forget to dance—badly, if needed.”

++++++

“You got everything?” Laurel asked as Katniss stood in front of their car. Behind the SUV, a U-Haul attachment held the little furniture that they owned, including Liz’s crib, stroller and high chair. “Just remember to take breaks when needed—and call us if you need anything, even small things.”

Her mother embraced her tightly and Katniss could feel the tears forming in her eyes.

“Of course,” Katniss replied. “I love you.”

Her father, along with Richard, came around to where they had been locking up the U-Haul attachment.

“You’re all set,” her father told her, his eyes downcast.

“Just remember to drive slow and let people pass you,” Richard added softly. “Where’s Peeta?”

Katniss looked up to see Peeta emerging from inside the Everdeen house, one arm around his mother, whose face was blotchy from crying. He cradled Liz in the crook of his other arm. As they walked closer, Katniss could see that her husband’s eyes were also rimmed with red.

Walking forward, Katniss went to him and Peeta gave her a sad smile.

“I’m fine,” he assured her. She kissed him softly to comfort him anyway.

“I’ll take her,” Katniss said and Peeta easily gave their daughter to her. They had learned to be seamless in trading off.

Anna approached her as Peeta went to say goodbye to her parents and his father.

“Call us when you get there?” her mother-in-law asked in a soft voice.

“Of course,” Katniss said and she found herself pulling Anna into a hug. “I love you, Mom.” She felt her breath catch as the tears suddenly emerged from inside her. “Thank you for Peeta.”

“No need to thank me.” Anna kissed her cheek. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to him—to our family.” Pulling away, she leaned down to kiss Liz. “I love you both. I’ll see you in six months for the bakery’s soft opening.”

Together, they walked to the car. Cal and Will, along with Prim, were all waiting with the rest of the family.

Her brothers came to her first.

“I might be heading up there in two months on business,” Will said in a quiet voice. “Don’t be surprised if you get someone knocking on your door out of nowhere.”

“You’re always welcome—business trip or not,” Katniss said and reached to hug him carefully so they wouldn’t squish the now sleeping baby in her arms. Will reached down to kiss the small palm of Liz’s hand before walking over to Peeta.

“Call me if Peeta gives you trouble,” Cal said to her with a wink. “I can always give him a noogie—like I used to when we were kids.”

Katniss laughed as she brushed away her tears with her free hand. “I don’t think there would be any fight that we could get into that would need a noogie intervention.”

He kissed her cheek. “Well, just remember to call then. Be good to each other.” Cal leaned down to touch Liz’s soft dark hair. “Be a good girl for Mommy and Daddy, Lizzy-bug.”

Prim went to them. “I need to give my two favorite brunettes a hug each.” She wrapped her long arms around Katniss and Liz carefully. “It’s going to be a lot more boring now that you’re gone—these last nine months have been the craziest ride.”

“Tell me about it,” Katniss said. “Thanks for being there.”

Her sister had been her closest friend—since the first time that she had held Prim as a newborn. They had been confidants through everything.

“Of course,” Prim told her as she reached to wipe the tear from Katniss’ cheek. “You’re my best friend.”

They hugged once more and Prim put an arm around her as they walked to the car.

Peeta went to them and he hugged Prim quickly. “Love you, sis.”

“Thanks for knocking Katniss up,” Prim replied with a snort. “You did good.”

Her husband looked over at her and grinned. “I really did.” He went to kiss Katniss quickly. “I’ll put her in the car seat.” Katniss nodded and they quickly made the switch.

Katniss turned to see her family in front of her—how it had grown. It had not been easy to get there, but they had done it.

“Our first stop is New Mexico,” she told them. “We’ll give you a call when we get there.”

Katniss felt Peeta take her hand and she turned to nod at him.

“I guess this is it for now,” Peeta said to everyone. He reached for Katniss’ hand before looking back at them. “We love you.”

Together, they turned toward the SUV and Peeta helped her inside. She closed her door and smiled at everyone after putting on her seatbelt.

Beside her, Peeta started the car and she could hear him put his seatbelt on. Slowly, the car drove down the driveway and made the turn onto the street.

When they reached the end of the street, Peeta beeped his final goodbye before turning onto the main road.

“You ready?” he asked her.

Katniss turned to him, placing her hand over his.

“Yes.”

++++++

**_One Month Later_ **

_Baltimore, Maryland - 3:00AM (EST)_

The tiny cry coming from the monitor woke him immediately.

Peeta turned to look at Katniss, who was fast asleep. She had come home after a long orientation of the hospital sector that she would be training in—and had passed out after playing with their daughter. It had been a grueling schedule for the new mother, but Katniss was handling it better than he ever could.

He kissed the top of her head before jumping out of bed, being extra careful to avoid the unopened moving boxes. It had been a hectic month between trying to get settled and Katniss starting her medical program.

Going across the narrow hall, Peeta entered the room and found his daughter, in her designer onesie from Effie, crying in her crib.

However, as soon as her eyes found him, she immediately silenced, her arms raised and ready to be picked up.

“Sweetheart,” Peeta said as he lifted her from the crib, cradling her easily in one arm. “Mommy is sleeping and we don’t want to wake her.” He went to the iPod player set up on the top of her dresser and pressed play. “Lucky, do you want to dance?”

He was the only one who called her Lucky—because she and her mother made him feel that way every day.

_“Oh, let me wear your overcoat, my bones are super chill and all the ponies have gone home_   
_Oh, walking through Manhattan with the ache from last night’s smile still smarting up from my toes…”_

Peeta couldn’t help but laugh at the song choice. He looked at his daughter, whose bright blue eyes were now wide open as she rocked with her Daddy.

“I was supposed to dance to this song with your mother for our wedding,” he told his daughter. “It was the one thing that I was in charge of.”

“Here’s your chance.”

Peeta turned to see Katniss leaning against the doorway, a tired smile on her face. She walked towards him in a long pajama shirt that was his, legs bare and hair loose on her shoulders. Katniss never knew the effect she had on him—the feeling of breathless excitement at her presence and that feeling of completeness every time they were together.

“You owe me and we were advised to dance—badly, if needed,” Katniss said as she wrapped an arm around his waist, her head against his shoulder. She was face to face with their daughter, who was struggling to stay awake despite the warmth of her mother and father. “I guess she can dance with us, too.”

He laughed and kissed the top of his wife’s head as they began to dance in the tiny room above the beginning of his bakery.

_“Oh, we make bread on Sundays and the little ones are climbing up the walls, up the walls_   
_Oh, nothing lasts forever but the sound of love astounds me every time that it calls…”_

Peeta gazed down at Katniss as she reached over to caress their daughter’s cheek tenderly.

They were going to be okay. They had each other.

And that was enough.

_“Here we go, dancing on our own, inside this house that we have never known, never known,_   
_Here we go, going in alone into the dark and wonderful unknown, let us go, let us go…”_

* * *

 

I can’t believe that this is over. I really enjoyed writing this story—and I appreciate it if you stuck around.

In ‘Knocked Up’, the baby was never named—so I had to go off the cuff. The name Elizabeth always seemed to stick out to me. I had always wanted one part of her name to mean ‘lucky’—but I wasn’t exactly excited at the idea of having her first name be Clover—because it was too closely associated with Clove. Nor did I like the name Felicity—it didn’t fit.

I also like that everyone calls Elizabeth different nicknames (Lizzie, Lizzy-bear, Lizzy-bug, Liz, Lucky).

The epilogue will be a big time leap—five years to be exact—and from a very interesting P.O.V.

Songs:

“She-Wolf” - David Guetta feat. Sia

“Paper Planes” - M.I.A.

“Wonderful Unknown” - Ingrid Michaelson feat. Greg Laswell

Until the Epilogue, JLaLa


	12. Epilogue: Elizabeth

The epilogue to this most wonderfully fun story to write—thank you to those who’ve stuck through!

The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me.

Thank you to Chelzie, my beta, for all her hard work!

One

Epilogue: Elizabeth

**_Five Years Later…_ **

“Lizzie!”

Lizzie Mellark turned to see Miss Cashmere and Mr. Gloss waving at her from the table. Excitedly, she rushed over to be pulled onto Mr. Gloss’ lap and gave him a hug. The handsome man smiled at her before she slid down from his lap to hug Miss Cashmere.

“Do you want the usual?” she asked them once she was back on the floor.

Her Daddy had taught her about keeping the customer happy, so she always remembered that Miss Cashmere and Mr. Gloss liked gluten-free muffins. They own the gym across the street, but always came by in the afternoon for a snack.

“So serious,” Miss Cashmere said to her with a smile. Her eyes suddenly went behind her. “Peeta, she’s only five and already tailoring herself to run your business!”

Lizzie turned to see her Daddy with a big smile on his face as he gazed down at her. Daddy was handsome with sunshine hair and eyes that looked blue like swimming pools. Her Mommy had called Daddy a fox once—but she couldn’t understand how those bushy-tailed animals looked like him.

“Lucky is determined to own her bakery,” her Daddy informed the woman. “So she is grooming herself to be my apprentice for when the time comes.”

Daddy was the only one who called her Lucky. When she asked why, he told her because once he found out that Mommy was having her, he became the luckiest person on earth.

“I think it’s good for her,” Mr. Gloss replied. “Plus, I don’t think any other places around here have such a sweet little server like her.” The man looked to Peeta. “By the way, we wanted to order some of the gluten-free line for the party we’re having for our members. How far in advance do we need to order?”

“Two weeks,” Lizzie told them. The little girl tugged at her father’s apron. “Should I get the order forms?”

Her Daddy chuckled. “Sure, Lucky—ask Uncle Brutus to get the clipboard for you, too.”

The little girl nodded before excitedly rushing to the back of the bakery.

++++++

“That kid is so adorable,” Cashmere remarked as she watched Lucky enter the back of the bakery. “She makes me want to sit down and pop out one of my own.”

“You never know,” Peeta told her. “Brutus just broke up with someone, so he’s available.” The woman flushed at his words.

“Here’s your chance, sis,” Gloss told her. “You’ve been eyeing him since Peeta hired him as assistant baker!”

“Also, depending on how today goes, Brutus might become the head baker here,” Peeta continued before looking at his watch. “Katniss should be getting here soon.”

It had been a grueling few years for their little family. Katniss had been busy studying at the medical center and he had been getting the Mellark Bakery up and running.

Along with all of this, the couple had been busy raising Lizzie. The great thing was that their daughter was an angel. As a baby, she barely cried and mostly slept on time. The little girl seemed to have the best of each of them, Peeta’s friendly spirit and Katniss’ intelligence. Both he and Katniss had even discussed skipping Lizzie up a grade with her teacher.

“Well, we’ll miss you around here,” Gloss told them. “But if I were Katniss and had the chance to help create a better medical program, then I’d do it. She’s already done a lot for the education department at Johns Hopkins—and she’s not even guaranteed an attending position.”

“And she will be an attending at this hospital, alongside Beetee,” Peeta responded.

Katniss had kept in close contact with her father’s doctor—both for advice and just general support when days got hard in her own program. Beetee had also asked for Katniss’ advice about the program he was running at his own hospital.

It was only recently that Beetee had offered Katniss a chance to help run the program with him. There, she would be guaranteed an attending position, as well as the chance to assist him on the surgery floor.

It also meant that they would be moving back home.

“I think it’s going to be an awesome opportunity,” Cashmere said to him kindly. “How do you think Lizzie will react?”

“It’s a pretty big change,” Peeta said. “But Lucky has always been an optimist—I mean, Katniss and I were worried about telling her about the baby, and she was completely fine with it.”

“You sound like you’re lying,” Gloss responded as he gave Peeta a wicked grin.

“She asked a lot of questions—specifically where the baby would come out of,” he told Gloss. “—and if her Mommy would be as big as her Aunt Effie was when she had her baby.”

Cashmere chuckled. “You’ve got a little spitfire there.”

Peeta grinned. “And I’m proud of her.”

++++++

“Uncle Bruty,” Lizzie called out as she put the order form on the clipboard. “Where are the pens?”

The hulking man went over to her and pulled a pen from his apron. “Right here, darlin’.” He looked over her shoulder. “Do you understand any of this?”

She turned the clipboard around. “Some of it…” Lizzie knew the letters and she could see the word ‘name’. “I know where to put the name.”

Her Uncle Bruty sat in the chair next to her. “Come here, Lizzie.” He easily pulled her onto his lap. Her uncle had been a boxer a long time ago, but then he hurt his head and couldn’t box people anymore. Lizzie wasn’t sure what that meant. She only understood that if her Uncle Bruty kept on boxing, he could be hurt forever.

So he quit and went to culinary school.

“Let’s sound this out together,” he instructed her. Uncle Bruty pointed to the next word. “Now, go on.”

“A…add…” Lizzie peered at the word. “…dress…” She looked up at the man and smiled. “Address?”

“Perfect,” he replied and ruffled the top of her head. “Who is this for?”

“Mr. Gloss and Miss Cashmere,” she replied. Uncle Bruty suddenly turned red all the way up to the top of his shiny head. “Why are you so red?”

The man laughed at her words. “It’s warm in here.”

“Then let’s go outside!” Lizzie jumped off his lap and, with both her hands, she grabbed his large one to help him up. “You can be my assistant.”

“I can never say no to you,” the man replied before picking her up in one arm. “Here’s your clipboard. I want to see you writing this order down with me.”

She blew out her breath, wrapped her arms around his thick neck, and smiled. “Yes, Uncle Bruty.”

Lizzie loved being carried by her uncle. He was tall—almost as tall as her Uncle Will and she could see the tops of everything when she was in either of their arms.

Together, they went through the swinging door and out into the front of her bakery. Daddy was still talking to Mr. Gloss and Miss Cashmere. When they stepped out onto the floor, the three smiled at her and her uncle, especially Miss Cashmere.

“You’re red, too,” Lizzie said to the woman. “But it’s not warm in here.” She looked over at her Uncle Bruty and frowned. “Maybe there’s something wrong with the bakery ovens.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the bakery ovens, Lucky,” her father said as he extracted her from her Brutus’ arms. He grinned and kissed her cheek. “This is about two people who are too shy to talk to each other.”

Lizzie looked over to see her uncle standing awkwardly with the clipboard in his hands.

“Uncle Bruty, you’re supposed to be filling out the order form,” she told him. “Miss Cashmere and Mr. Gloss can help you.”

“Actually…” Mr. Gloss stood up. “I have to get over to the gym in a few minutes—we have a pilates class starting and the instructor is very pretty.” He winked at his sister and patted Uncle Bruty’s shoulder. “I’m sure you two can figure this out on your own.”

Mr. Gloss went over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, my love.” Then he shook her Daddy’s hand. “Good luck, and I hope it all goes in your favor today.”

Daddy’s eyes went to the window. “Well, we won’t have to wait very long for news—”

The entrance bell rang and Lizzie turned to see the person coming in through the door.

“MOMMY!”

++++++

This was Katniss’ favorite part of the day—walking into the bakery and seeing Lizzie running towards her.

This was a special time for her and Peeta. Right now, their daughter wanted nothing but to be with them all the time. Katniss dreaded the teenage years, remembering that she and Prim were nightmare teenagers.

She would prefer her Lizzie remain five years old forever.

“MOMMY!” Her little girl was immediately throwing her arms around her legs. “I missed you!”

Katniss looked around, meeting Peeta’s eyes, before looking around at the bakery floor. Gloss and Peeta stood by the display case as Brutus and Gloss’ sister, Cashmere, sat at one of the tables.

“You seem to be in good company, babe,” she told her daughter before kissing the top of her head. Lizzie still smelled of baby powder. “Though I didn’t know that it was okay to wear a tutu as a bakery uniform.”

Katniss met her husband’s eyes. “Can’t stifle her creativity,” he told her as he walked over and pressed a kiss to her lips, still cold and chapped from the outside. “How did it go?”

“I’ve given them notice that we’re set to leave in a month—and that all of my transcripts should be transferred over to Beetee’s hospital,” she informed him. “They were upset to see me leave, but this is a rare opportunity.”

“And you deserve this chance,” Peeta told her. “I’m proud.”

“Proud of what?” Lizzie asked curiously, her bright blue eyes peering up at her parents.

“Proud of Mommy!” Peeta told her as he scooped her up. “Because she is the smartest woman in the world!”

“And she is the prettiest Mommy in the world,” Lizzie added, a beaming smile on her small face. “Everyone in my class says so.”

“Are we paying for some kind of finishing school?” Katniss asked her husband.

“No, but when you drop her off at school, all the other Daddies happen to see her Mommy,” he explained. “Their kids ask questions on their behalf. Delly, the teacher’s aide, told me that she’s had a few of the single fathers sniffing around about you.”

“Maybe next time you should come with me,” she suggested with a grin. “Wear one of those tight v-neck shirts that you used to wear when you were bartending.”

“I have a little bit of a gut now,” he told her sheepishly.

Katniss rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, from a six-pack to a four-pack.”

Her husband still cut a great figure. It was why half of those horny bitches from the gym across the street kept coming over to the bakery to share one cookie.

Katniss knelt before her daughter. “Remember, baby – pretty will only get you so far. A brain is far more important.”

“Can’t you have both?” Lizzie questioned.

She kissed her daughter’s cheek. “And that’s why you are the best of both worlds—beautiful and very, very, very smart.”

“You two are interesting parents,” Gloss suddenly interrupted. He shook Peeta’s hand, kissed the top of Lizzie’s head, and leaned down to kiss Katniss’ cheek. “Congratulations, darling—it’s going to suck to see you go.” The man left the bakery and hurried across the street.

Her daughter turned to her worriedly. “Where are you going, Mommy?”

Katniss met Peeta’s eyes. “I think it’s time to go upstairs for dinner.”

He nodded seriously. “Sure.” Peeta turned to Brutus. “Will you lock up for the night after you two are finished?”

Brutus looked over at them, his smile bright as Cashmere leaned close to him.

“Sure, Peeta,” he replied with a wave. “Have a good night, Mellarks.”

“Don’t do anything that we wouldn’t do,” Katniss warned the two with a smile.

She looked down to see her daughter smiling up at her and took Lizzie’s hand.

“Actually, just go with your gut.”

++++++

“Lucky, how would you feel about living somewhere else?” Her Daddy asked as he put a piece of lasagna onto her Peter Rabbit plate.

Lasagna was her favorite.

Tonight, Daddy even let her help him make Mommy’s celebration dinner. Now that Mommy had a baby in her tummy, she always liked lasagna, too.

Or maybe her baby liked lasagna.

“What do you mean?” She cut into her square with the fork, watching the steam rise. Lizzie always had to remember to blow on it or else it would hurt her tongue.

One time, she did bite too soon and Mommy gave her milk because she cried from the pain.

“You see, Lizzie-bear,” her Mommy began. “I got into another school, and that school can help me become a doctor, too. The good thing is that we will be closer to your grandparents, your uncles and Auntie Prim—even your Aunt Johanna and Uncle Gale. You’ll get to see Jenna more.”

“JENNA! She said that I can have all her dolls now!”

Lizzie loved talking to Jenna on her Daddy’s tablet thingy. Jenna always told her stories about being in fourth grade and showed her the nail polish that her Mommy let her wear on her fingernails.

“That means, however, we won’t get to see Mr. Gloss or Miss Cashmere as much,” Daddy told her. “Even Uncle Brutus or Miss Delly.”

“Really?” Lizzie suddenly felt her eyes grow heavy and she blinked to feel water going down her cheeks.

But where would Mr. Gloss and Miss Cashmere get their cookies? And Uncle Bruty would be all alone.

Lizzie sniffled, wiping her eyes on her arm. “We’ll be gone forever?”

“No, sweetheart,” Mommy assured her. “I’m sure that your Uncle Brutus will visit—and you’re learning to write, so you can write a lot of letters to Mr. Gloss and Miss Cashmere. You can also write to your classmates. Does that sound okay?”

It didn’t seem too bad.

“But we’ll be together?” Lizzie asked.

“Of course, honey,” Mommy said. “Come here.” Lizzie moved off her chair to sit on her Mommy’s lap. There was a little less room since the baby was getting bigger. She placed a hand on her brother or sister and rested her head on her Mommy’s chest. “Me, you, Daddy, and the new baby—we’re a team and we’ll always stick together—so don’t you worry. Do you have any questions?”

Lizzie nodded as she wiped her eyes.

“Go ahead, Lucky,” Daddy told her encouragingly. “We’ll answer whatever you want.”

She looked over at him. “Will they still have lasagna there?”

++++++

“Lucky took it better than we thought,” Peeta told his wife as he got in on his side of the bed. “Our little girl is a trooper.”

Katniss grinned at him before her head went to his shoulder. “Makes you kind of wonder what this little one inside me will be like,” she replied as her hands went to her stomach.

“Well, Lucky and this baby both have the common thread that they weren’t entirely expected,” he said to her and took her hand. “But I think we’re going to have as much fun with this one as we’ve had with Lucky.”

Katniss looked to him, her eyes glowing. “I’m happy that we’re going home.” She took his hand. “Are you going to be okay? You’ve built the bakery from the ground up and now you’re leaving it.”

“This just gives me the chance to open up another bakery. Maybe somewhere near my old neighborhood,” he told her. “I’ve been having Haymitch take a look at some commercial spaces—quietly—so my parents don’t ask questions.”

“Where does he stick Matty while he’s looking at these spaces?” she asked.

It had been a sudden surprise to the newly-wed Abernathy duo when they found out that Effie was pregnant, because neither of them had wanted children.

Effie assumed that Haymitch had had a vasectomy, and Haymitch assumed that Effie was on birth control.

Assumptions meant nothing when the plus sign came up on Effie’s pregnancy test.

“He just lets my parents watch the little man,” Peeta replied. “Or he’ll just bring my godson with him during his appointments with the realtor.”

“Must be difficult to wrangle a two-year-old while you’re looking around at commercial spaces.” Katniss laughed, thinking of their own experiences with Lizzie. She barely stayed in one place, threw things around, and tried to open everything that she could get her chubby little hands on.

“You know that Haymitch can handle it,” he replied and put an arm around her. “If we could do it, then those two certainly can—that’s what he said anyway.”

“Since when did we become the poster couple for unplanned children?” she asked.

“Because Lucky is such a dream to people,” Peeta told her. “Sweet and smart, not to mention so damn independent. She’s just like you.”

Peeta leaned forward and kissed his wife gently. He could taste the scent of coconut milk against her lips—their baby craved sugar, apparently. It worked in their favor since he was a baker and if needed, Katniss could have her chocolate chip cookies at two in the morning.

He could feel her breath against his lips and when Peeta opened his eyes, he found Katniss’ eyes suddenly heavy with want.

“Is the door locked?” he asked as she slowly straddled him.

“Yes,” Katniss replied softly.

Her hands went to the bottom of his shirt and she easily peeled it off. Peeta’s hands went to undo the buttons of Katniss’ pajama top and his jaw dropped as she revealed her full breasts and slight belly, ripening with their child.

Katniss was always beautiful—but tonight, she glowed.

“Isn’t this how we got this little one?” he asked her with a grin.

“I think we got this one fulfilling my fantasy of sex against one of your bakery ovens,” Katniss replied as her lips went to his neck. He sucked in a breath at the sensation of her lips against his sensitive skin. “Lizzie had that sleepover at her friend’s house and it was about this time of the night when we decided to sneak down to eat leftover cake…”

“Yes, now I remember,” he told her before placing a kiss against her shoulder. “We never made it to the fridge.”

“You were too busy ripping my shirt off.” Katniss nipped at his ear and he groaned against her neck. He could feel her reaching into his boxers to pull his rigid member from its opening.

“And you were already undoing my jeans,” Peeta continued. His hand dipped into her panties and he bit his lip, feeling her already soaked and ready for him.

The memory of their coupling played out in his mind. He could still hear her moans in his ears as he took her against the stainless steel door of the oven, her heels pressed against his back and his jeans around his ankles.

Katniss quickly moved to her knees to discard her damp panties before slowly sinking onto him. They found their rhythm easily, being well practiced in having to be absolutely silent when they were making love. Their walls were thin and just about any creak could be heard and amplified in their small apartment.

His wife was at the point in her pregnancy where every part of her was one bundle of oversensitive nerves. He could feel her already beginning to climax, her insides already fluttering around his cock.

“Peeta…” she whispered against his ear. “I love you…”

“OH, GOD—” His own orgasm came unexpectedly and he shivered against her as he climaxed, his pulsing member pushing hard into her and filling her.

Katniss let out a long, drawn-out cry into his neck as her orgasm overtook her. Her hands clung to his back harshly and he knew that he would be feeling it tomorrow—it mattered very little when he was sheathed tightly inside her throbbing, wet cavern.

“I love this part of being pregnant,” she told him breathlessly. “I could orgasm just staring at you sometimes.”

Peeta kissed her soundly. “Feel free to look any time you want.” He pushed her hair from her glistening forehead. “I love you, Katniss Mellark. Thank you for looking at me in that club.”

“Thank you for taking my drink order,” she whispered with her own grin. Katniss yawned as she moved off him and laid back down on her side of the bed. “Looks like baby is ready for bed.”

There was a knock on the door. “Daddy? Mommy?”

Peeta grinned at her as he fixed his boxers and got out of bed. “Looks like my night is just beginning.” There was another insistent knock. “Coming, Lucky!”

Katniss’ eyes were already closing and so he pulled their comforter over her.

As Peeta went to kiss her forehead, her eyes opened, sparkling up at him. “I can’t wait to go home.”

He smiled down at her. “Me, too.”

++++++

**_One Week Later…_ **

Lizzie loved planes.

Mommy and Daddy gave her the window seat and the nice lady gave her apple juice from a big cart. She also got a pair of wings to stick on her jean jacket.

“Is this her first time riding a plane?” the pretty woman asked her Mommy.

“Yes, and as you can tell—she’s very excited,” Mommy replied with a tired smile.

“It’s my baby’s first time on a plane, too,” Lizzie told the lady and put her hand on Mommy’s tummy. “Can my baby have a pair of wings?”

The woman chuckled and reached into her pocket to hand her the plastic wings. “Sure, honey.”

“Thank you,” Lizzie said as she took the wings. She peeled it back so the sticky part was out and then placed it on her Mommy’s belly. “Now my baby has wings.”

“You two have a very sweet little girl,” the lady told Daddy. “She’s going to be a great big sister.”

“All the reason to look forward to the next one,” Daddy told her.

The lady looked to her Mommy. “If you don’t mind me asking, how far along are you? I didn’t even realize that you were expecting!”

“Four months,” Mommy replied. “Our families don’t know yet. We’re heading home on business and to celebrate my brother-in-law’s elopement, so we’re just going to drop the bomb then.”

“Sounds like a busy time for all of you.” The lady gave them a smile. “Well, we’re going to be landing in about ten minutes, but feel free to let me know if you need anything.” She winked at Lizzie. “Take care of your baby, sweetheart.”

Lizzie waved before turning to window. The ocean was so blue—almost as blue as her Auntie Prim’s eyes—and the sun shone through her window. She could see the green in front of her and tiny little cars moving like the ants that crept into her room when she would forget to throw her Tootsie Pops away.

“What’s that?” she asked and pointed at the land in front of her for her parents to see.

“That’s the California Coast,” Daddy explained as he looked out. “The plane is going to make a turn so we can land in Los Angeles. Then we’ll be home.”

“Will we have a house already?” Lizzie tried to imagine her new home. Maybe it would look like Grammy and Papa’s house with lots of windows and a driveway where she could ride her bike, or it would be like Grandma and Grandpa’s house on top of the hill with its pretty view and lots of paintings.

She wanted to have a room like Mommy’s old room—with yellow walls and grey blankies.

“Not yet,” Mommy said next to her. “Remember, it’s a secret surprise for everyone—just like your brother or sister.”

“But, Mommy!” Lizzie said as she looked at her Mommy’s tummy. “I don’t want to hide my baby.”

“Well, let’s just wait for the right time, okay?” Daddy gave her a smile. “Also, let’s not mention that we’re moving home until later.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Lizzie said. “Will I know when it’s the right time?”

“You will,” her Daddy reassured her. “It will just be in your tummy—like butterflies.”

There was a sudden ding and she looked to her parents. Lizzie could hear something rumbling underneath them and her mouth suddenly quivered in fear.

“It’s time to land now,” Mommy said before she made sure that her seatbelt was okay. “Don’t worry, Lizzie. We’ll be home soon, I promise.”

++++++

“LIZZIE!”

Katniss grinned as she watched their daughter jump into her Aunt’s arms. Prim smothered her niece’s cheeks with kisses as Lizzie giggled.

“I missed you, Lizzie-bug!” Prim said as she put her niece back on the ground. “Are you ready to see Grammy and Papa’s house?”

“YES!” Lizzie punched her fist in the air in excitement. “Do we get to see Mommy’s old room?”

“Even better—” Prim looked up and met her eyes. “You get to sleep in it.”

“You really overexcited her with those photos of the house,” Katniss told her with a grin. Prim was working as a photographer for an online lifestyle magazine. “Hey, little sister.”

The two sisters embraced and as they pulled away, Prim’s eyes went down to her stomach.

“Was this one planned?” Prim asked, her mouth twitching in amusement.

“Not one bit,” Katniss replied and grinned.

Prim put an arm around Katniss before turning to Peeta with a smile. “Unbelievable, big brother. You finally have one in school and you just had to impregnate her again.”

He smirked at his sister-in-law before winking at Katniss. “I wasn’t the one with the bakery fantasy.”

“Oh, how the tables have turned,” Prim said as she laughed. “I used to be the free-wheeling one and now here you go just one-upping me!”

“Well, you’ve been busy—traveling and such. How is everything going, by the way?” Katniss asked as they headed down to baggage claim with Peeta and Lizzie in front of them. “Are you and Rory still talking to each other?”

Prim shrugged. “We text once in a while—it’s for the best.” She hooked arms with Katniss. “I travel so much and he’s in the studio most of the time. There was no time for a relationship.”

“And are you coping with that?” Katniss asked.

“Kinda…” Prim looked at her guiltily. “I may have coped…with a few other people.”

Katniss stopped in place and turned to her sister. “Like how many?”

“Some guys that I met during my trips and—” Prim looked down. “One or two of Peeta’s friends.”

“He only has two that I know of—” Her eyes widened at Prim’s admission. “Thresh or Cato?”

“Both…” Prim bit her lips. “But, I swear—not at the same time!”

“Like that really makes it better!” Katniss took Prim’s hand. “Do I need to remind you how irresponsible that is? I mean, I was about the same age as you are when I had Lizzie—”

“I was careful!” Prim insisted. “And, really—you can’t use your story as a cautionary tale, sis! You have a beautiful daughter, a husband who you’re totally in love with, a great career, and another baby on the way.” Her eyes sparkled with sudden tears. “And I would love that and maybe one day, it will happen—with Rory or someone else. But for now, can’t I just enjoy having an awesome career and a lot of great sex without being judged?”

Katniss took a deep breath. She was never like that, but she and her sister were as different as night and day. Her situation worked out for her; but it hadn’t been easy, so Katniss knew how lucky she was.

“Fair enough,” Katniss sighed and put an arm around her sister’s shoulders. She looked over at Prim once more. “So which one of them was better?”

Prim snorted at her question. “I don’t screw and tell.” They went to join Peeta and Lizzie. “But let’s just say after one of them, I couldn’t walk for a day.”

++++++

“Mom, I think you can let go of me now,” Peeta said to his mother.

Anna slowly pulled away and wiped her tears. “It feels like it’s been forever.”

“It’s been six months, Anna,” Richard told his wife from where he stood in the archway of the Everdeen house. “We see them more than anyone seeing as we visit to check on our investment.”

Gabe and Laurel were embracing Katniss in the entryway as Prim sat on the couch in the living room with Lucky. His daughter was combing out her Aunt’s hair, preparing it so she could work on the new fishtail braid that Katniss had taught her.

“Still—I missed you, Katniss, and Lizzie,” his mother replied as she pouted.

Richard joined his wife and put an arm around her. “You still have two other sons, who live right here in California—”

The front door opened and Will walked in. Following Peeta’s oldest brother was Cal, along with the newest member of the Mellark family, Cal’s wife—Rue.

It had been a huge surprise when the couple had shown up two months ago on the bakery’s doorstep to announce that they had eloped. They had been an on and off again couple with Rue being so busy as Head Nurse at her hospital and Cal traveling so much. No one had really known how serious they were.

That is, until they showed up with gold bands on their left ring fingers.

“I’m aware of that,” Anna retorted as his brothers, along with Rue, entered the room. “However, you didn’t get married without telling your parents.” She eyed Cal sternly. “You’re also not avoiding any serious relationships.” His mother turned to Will.

“Remember when she was so busy ragging on Peeta that we were able to avoid all of this?” Will said with a good-natured grin. He looked to Peeta. “Now _you’re_ the golden son.”

“Mom,” Rue called out and put an arm around Anna. “Does it help at all that you’re throwing a party for us? And I promise—you get free reign. I’m way too busy at the hospital to think about this.”

Anna smiled at her. “Well, I’ll forgive you.” She looked to her two other sons. “Now give me more grandbabies!” She quickly walked away to sit with Lizzie and Prim.

Richard kissed Rue hello and hugged Cal, then Will. “Take your time. I think your brother will keep your mother occupied enough.”

He grinned at Peeta and winked. “Remember that look that Katniss gave me when we first met? She’s giving it to her parents right now. I’ll go grab her some water.”

Cal turned to him as their father left their side. “Really, Peeta? You couldn’t keep it in your pants?”

“Things happen,” Peeta argued and then gave Cal a hug. “Look at you—you’re married now.”

He went to hug Rue and kissed her cheek. “Hey, sis. If he gives you trouble, let me know. I’ll sick Lizzie on him.”

“Cal is actually a very good husband,” Rue replied and turned to Cal. “Took some time for him to catch me, but when he did—he made it worthwhile.”

She smiled at Cal and he reached out to take her hand. Together, they walked over to greet Katniss and her parents.

“Then there’s me.” Peeta turned to see Will smiling at him. “The newest ‘ne’er do well’ of the Mellark brothers.”

The two went to the couch where Anna sat with Lizzie and Prim.

“Lucky, say hi to your Uncle Will,” Peeta told her and his daughter jumped from her seat to be scooped up into his brother’s arms. She, in turn, kissed her uncle soundly on the cheek.

“Hello, Little Duck!” Will sat down on the adjacent loveseat with the little girl in his arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t make it out this year to see you—but I owe you a snow cone during this visit.” Lucky nodded, pressing her cheek to her uncle’s contentedly.

Peeta sat down next to the two, smiling as he watched them together. His eldest brother tried to visit when he could, but lately his business kept him mostly on the West Coast.

“Little Duck is Auntie Prim’s name, too,” Lucky suddenly pointed out to Will, her tiny arms around his neck.

Will looked at her in confusion for a moment. He recovered quickly and gave his niece a smile. “So it is.”

The little girl stared at him. “How did you know?”

The man looked over at Prim, whose face went from a nice ivory shade to tomato red. “I guess she must have told me at one point.”

Prim shot up from her seat, her bright blue eyes suddenly frantic. “Mom is signaling me to help set up for lunch.”

“Let me help,” Anna said as she stood up. “I put something in your Mom’s fridge that needs to be prepped. Do you want to help, Lizzie?”

“Yes, Grandma!” The little girl jumped off Will’s lap and went to join the two women.

Together, Anna and Prim exited the living with his daughter, leaving the two brothers alone.

Once Peeta was sure that they were out of earshot, he turned to look at Will, who was staring at his clasped hands intently.

“Will…” His brother looked over at him, guilt apparent in his eyes. “You didn’t.”

“You weren’t there, Peeta,” his brother argued. “Cal and Rue wanted family with them during the ceremony. Since Rue’s family is in Florida, she invited Prim since they had gotten so close and everything. I joined them at the last minute since Cal was begging to have someone there with him.”

“Then what?” Peeta bit his lip trying to stop his anger from getting to him.

Prim was Katniss’ little sister and his brother had… he couldn’t even think about it.

Yes, Prim and Will weren’t blood related, but Lucky connected them in the family sense—and so would his and Katniss’ next child.

“They got married, we all went to a club, and then the newlyweds went to their suite,” Will continued. “It was just Prim and me. She was in-between Rory and no-Rory. I wasn’t, as usual, seeing anyone special. We drank and danced—and woke up in the same bed.”

“You pulled a ‘me and Katniss’—without the baby? Fuck—my head is spinning.” Peeta put his fingers to his temples. “Are you sure that you didn’t just wake up together?”

“We woke up naked—and if we didn’t do it the night before, we more than made up for it that morning,” Will explained and blew out a breath. “We both agreed to forget about it—no harm, no foul—and as long as no one found out, it would be fine.”

“Ahem.” They both turned to see Katniss standing in the living room archway with her arms crossed.

From the look on her face, Peeta was sure that she’d heard everything.

His brother was in deep shit.

Will stood up, his hands in his pockets and he looked pleadingly at his sister-in-law. “Katniss—”

Katniss held her hand up. “Prim is a grown woman and has made it clear that she can handle her own affairs.” She looked at him sternly. “But she can get hurt, too.”

“I know,” Will told her. “We had the talk and we both know where we stand. We’re the kind of the people who know what we want—and we won’t let anything or anyone ruin our plans.”

“Glad you understand Prim,” Katniss replied stiffly.

“The thing is, Katniss,” Will suddenly said, “I think I might like her.”

++++++

Mommy and Daddy were upset.

Her Mommy sat next to her, taking small bites of her mashed potatoes. They were Mommy’s favorite food and her baby always like them too—just not now.

Lizzie knew that something was wrong.

Daddy sat on her other side, eating silently, as he looked over at Uncle Will.

Her Uncle was eating very fast, shoveling food into his mouth like he was racing for a prize. She remembered when Mr. Gloss was training for a race and she would see him running past the bakery in the morning—Uncle Will was eating just as fast.

“Uncle Will, you’re going to get a tummy ache!” she called out worriedly.

Her uncle gave her a small smile and placed his fork down. “Thanks, Lizzie. I have to watch out for that.”

Auntie Prim, who was sitting near him, poured a glass of water from the pitcher in front of her before handing it to Uncle Will. Her uncle’s face went red as he took the glass, drinking it in almost one breath.

If he drank that fast, he would get a tummy ache anyway.

She shook her head—grown-ups never listen.

Next to her, Daddy grunted and Lizzie saw that none of the food on his plate had been touched.

“Anna, how are the plans for the reception going?” Grammy asked her Grandma.

“Good, good.” Grandma looked over at Uncle Cal and new Auntie Rue. “It’s a little hard to create a theme when all you know is that the bride and groom went to Vegas and came back married.”

“I think it’s kind of romantic,” her Papa said with a gentle smile. Papa Gabe had the nicest smile—it looked a lot like Mommy’s. “Did you go to one of those drive-thru ones or was it at a hotel?”

“It was at a chapel,” Auntie Prim said as she took a bite of her salad. Her blue eyes were suddenly much bigger as she swallowed her food.

There was a clank—her Grandpa dropped his fork. He looked worried and he placed his hand over Grandma’s.

“Primrose,” Grammy said. Her voice was suddenly very high—like she saw something scary and almost couldn’t speak. “How do you know where Rue and Cal got married?”

“Because she was there,” Auntie Rue told Grammy. Auntie Rue’s voice was pretty, like the sound of birds singing. Everything that came out of her mouth sounded nice. “Before you ask—so was Will.”

“William Mellark, why would not tell us about this?” Grandma asked. “You know how important these things are to us!”

“I’m sorry,” Uncle Will told Grandma. “I promised that I would keep my mouth shut until they told you. I just happened to be free—at least there was someone from the family there, someone who was looking out for them.”

Daddy snorted loudly and everyone turned to him.

“Did you have something to say, Peeta?” Her Uncle Will asked in a soft but strange voice.

“No, because I know you were looking out for _everyone’s_ well-being,” Daddy said with a soft snort.

“I cannot believe that you told him,” Auntie Prim said to Uncle Will.

Uncle Will was now the color of her favorite crayon—strawberry. “I NEVER SAID ANYTHING!”

“I pretty much figured it out when he mentioned ‘Little Duck,’” Daddy told Auntie Prim. “You could never keep a secret, Prim. It was all over your face—”

“Oh, God! This is really none of your business!” Auntie Prim stood up, her eyes wet like big blue pools. She looked to Mommy. “Did you tell him about the others?”

“Of course not, Prim,” Mommy said softly, her grey eyes sad. “That is not anyone else’s business. You’re a grown woman.”

“Well, your husband seems upset with me,” Auntie Prim said, her voice shaking. Lizzie felt horrible for Auntie Prim—she looked very unhappy, her pink lips pointing down, and tears on her face as she looked to Daddy. “You know what you probably haven’t seen on my face? Thresh, Cato—just to name a few, besides Will. So before you try to make me feel as bad for the choices I’ve made—remember that you just can’t look at me—you have to look at them, too.”

“EVERYONE NEEDS TO CALM DOWN!” Papa Gabe quickly called out, his usually soft voice now booming in the room. “Prim, sit down and finish your meal! You are all grown-ups and you should act like it. Remember that there is a child at the table!”

Auntie Prim sat down, putting her head in her hands. Uncle Will was eating quickly again while Daddy went back to staring at his food. Uncle Cal and Auntie Rue were whispering to one another while they looked at Grandma being hugged by Grammy. Grandpa was talking to Papa, who was shaking his head as he looked over at everyone.

Mommy was sniffling into her napkin and Lizzie took her hand quickly.

“Don’t be sad, Mommy,” she said with the biggest smile she could give. Her hand went to Mommy’s tummy. “Or you’ll make my baby sad, too!”

++++++

“Lucky really knows how to diffuse a situation, doesn’t she?” Peeta said as they got ready for bed.

Katniss remained silent, her husband’s words not registering in her mind. Her sister wasn’t talking to her or Peeta. Lizzie had gone to sleep with her favorite Aunt to keep her company.

She was angry at her husband, too.

He had put Prim’s paramours out on the table, and put all of it on her without realizing it.

Her husband was upset with his brother—there was no doubt about that. Will had left right after dinner, kissing both her and Lizzie on the cheek to congratulate them, and glancing over at a red-face Prim before taking off out the front door.

Peeta was disappointed in Prim, and to Katniss—that hurt far worse than all of her business being laid out on the dinner table.

“Katniss?” Her husband placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned away from him. “Why are you mad?”

Katniss looked over at him. “Because you accused my sister of being some sort of slut.”

“I never said that,” he told her. “I just expected more from her.”

“Why—because she’s a girl? How about Cato and Thresh? Or even your brother? I don’t exactly see you looking over at them or questioning any of their actions.” Katniss shook her head in disbelief. “I’m sure that all three have had more tail than my sister ever has. This isn’t fair to her—and it scares me that you think this way.”

“I’m sorry.” Her husband met her eyes. “I never meant to accuse Prim in any sort of way.”

“I propositioned you at the club, Peeta,” Katniss replied softly. “Did you think any less of me because I did?”

“Not one bit,” he told her. “Because I love that you’ve always known what and who you wanted in your life.” Peeta reached over to wipe a tear away. “I know that Prim is an extension of you and when I allude to these things about her—it’s like I’m saying them of you. I don’t want Prim or even you to feel ashamed.”

“One day, Lizzie could have her own ideas about love and sex,” she told him. “I don’t want her to feel like she needs to hide from us—and I worry about this little one, too.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” Peeta told her. Katniss could see that he felt horrible about his words. “I don’t want Lucky to hide from me or hate me—because I love her so much.”

She sighed against him, her head going to his shoulder. “Maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe we shouldn’t move back home.”

“What are you talking about?” She lifted her head off his shoulder and met his eyes. “This is your dream—you’re going to be an attending alongside Beetee. You’re going to help facilitate a new curriculum for future medical students. Now is not the time to have doubts about yourself—now is the time for courage.”

Katniss couldn’t help but smile. “Just when I think that you’re falling into some Neanderthal mindset—you say something like that.” Her smile fell off a bit. “You have to talk to Prim in the morning. You’re her brother and she looks up to you. She is aware of her behavior but she also pointed out that similar behavior brought us each other and Lizzie. Prim is aware that this might not happen for her, but she’s young and enjoys certain things.”

Peeta nodded. “There is Will,” he replied. “He says he likes her.”

The words had been a shock to both of them. Will—her brother-in-law—had a thing for her little sister. It was strange, but not so strange.

And that was going to make family dinners very interesting from now on.

“I know.” Katniss yawned and laid back. “And they would have beautiful, freakishly blond children—all looking like the Swiss Miss girl.”

Peeta laughed as he lay down with her, turning off the lamp next to him. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Though my mother would love that—blond cherubs around her feet along with our dark-haired angel.”

“And, my mother could plan a _Heidi_ -themed wedding,” she added, her eyes getting heavy. “They can get married in the Alps and Prim can ride a goat down the aisle.”

Her husband chuckled. “I’ll get my Lederhosen out.”

“Why have I never seen this outfit?” Katniss asked.

“I’ll add it to our list of fantasy outfits, Fräulein,” he whispered in the darkness. “Katniss?”

Her eyes closed. “Yeah, babe?”

“I know that Prim can take care of herself, but when I see Cato and Thresh—I’m going to punch them,” he told her.

“We’ll just keep it from Prim,” she told him. “Because I want to get a kick in, too.”

“I’ll hold their arms for you.”

“Deal.” Katniss opened her eyes. “Peeta?”

Her husband opened his eyes; they glowed in the darkness of her yellow room. “Yeah?”

“We’re staying,” she told him.

His eyes were full of pride as he looked at her. “I figured.”

++++++

Peeta awoke early that following morning. Turning to look at Katniss, he saw that she was still fast asleep—mouth slightly open in a light snore and her hand on her belly. She always slept this way as she got to the middle of the pregnancy. He had learned that early on when she was pregnant with Lucky.

He kissed her gently so he wouldn’t wake her before kissing her belly.

“Hey kid,” Peeta spoke softly. “Daddy really made a mess yesterday—and ruined the big announcement about you.”

Everyone had been thrilled, though Prim was halfway in tears while Will refused to look at him.

Their parents were overjoyed about the news and the subject of them moving back had come up once more. Katniss wanted to wait to tell them about moving back until she sat down with Beetee and had officially signed her agreement. He wanted to wait until he had found the perfect commercial space for the new bakery.

“Everyone’s happy about you,” he continued. “I just really pissed off your Aunt Prim. In fact, I’m going to go get your sister and beg your Aunt for forgiveness. Do you think she’ll forgive me?”

“Just hold Lizzie in front of you so she doesn’t try to punch you.” He looked up to see Katniss grinning at him. “Prim will forgive you. You’re her brother.”

He nodded before kissing her once more. “I’ll be back with your daughter.”

Opening the door, Peeta closed it behind him before stepping up to Prim’s door. He could her speaking to someone as he knocked gently. There was a shuffle and his sister-in-law opened the door, her cellphone at her ear.

Lucky remained fast asleep in Prim’s pink bed.

She gave him a pointed look as she widened the door.

“Yes, it’s Peeta—picking Lizzie up,” Prim said as she spoke into the phone.

“Is that my brother?” Peeta asked and she nodded as she glared at him. “Can I speak to him?”

Prim met his eyes. “Why?”

“So I can apologize for being a dick,” he told her.

She stared him down before handing her phone to him.

“Hey, Will,” Peeta greeted his brother.

“Are you happy?” Will grumbled at him. “She’s humiliated, and so am I. Mom was on the phone with me until midnight.”

“I didn’t mean to rat you out,” he replied. “You two are grown-ups.” Peeta sighed. “I guess when you have a kid, you forget that you used to do dumb shit when you were younger.”

“Like get really drunk at a bar and knock-up a really beautiful med-student?” his brother replied with a laugh.

Peeta chuckled. “Exactly.”

“All is forgiven, little brother,” Will told him. “I’ll talk to you later, and tell Prim the same.”

“Sure.” Hanging up the phone, Peeta held it out to Prim. “He said that he would call you later.”

Going to Prim’s bed, he reached down to pick Lucky up. The little girl fell easily into his embrace and he turned back to his sister.

“I’m sorry—I guess I was just trying to protect my sister…from my brother…” He could see Prim trying to suppress her laugh. “Yeah—that was a weird sentence.”

“It’s a strange situation,” Prim told him. “But I’m a grown-up, the same age Katniss was when you married her and she popped that little meatloaf out. I know what I’m getting into. So does your brother.”

“Is there something that you’re getting into with him?” he asked carefully and Prim crossed her arms. “It’s not because I’m worried or judging—it’s because I just want you both to be happy.”

“I am happy,” Prim told him. “I have a good job and a great apartment in the city. I get along with my family, even though a lot of them are very nosy. And I’m a lucky Aunt.” She smiled at him. “I don’t need anything or anyone else to make my life complete—because I’m already complete on my own.”

Peeta thought about his brother’s admission about his feelings. “I know you don’t need anyone or anything, Prim,” he replied. “But sometimes it’s not about need—it’s about want.”

“When I want something, I will ask for it,” Prim replied with a grin. “There are more than enough people who will supply.”

Together, they walked to the door and Prim opened it for him.

He turned to her. “Are you still mad at me?”

Prim shook her head and then hugged him.

Pulling away, she gave him a smile. “Also—congratulations.”

++++++

Matty had grey eyes just like Mommy.

The baby stared back at her from Uncle Haymitch’s lap and Lizzie held her hand out to him. Matty looked at her hand for a moment, before suddenly grabbing and pulling it to his mouth.

“Uncle Haymitch,” she called out. “Is it okay if I feed Matty my fingers?”

Uncle Haymitch grinned at her before helping her take her finger out from Matty’s mouth. “He’s just curious, sweetheart. About everything he sees—he wants to taste.” Her Uncle bounced Matty in his lap and the baby giggled loudly, clapping his hands at the motion.

“Are all babies bald?” Lizzie asked curiously as she looked at Matty’s head. He had some dark hairs coming out, but his head was mostly bare.

“Oh, no, darling,” Aunt Effie said as she placed a plate of cookies on the table along with a small carton of milk for her. “Some babies have a lot of hair and some don’t. When you were born, Lizzie-doll—you had a full head of hair.”

Lizzie jumped out of her seat and went to sit next to her Aunt.

Aunt Effie was always so fun because she gave her ‘big girl’ presents. She had a lot of pretty purses that looked like Auntie Prim’s with big letters on them like ‘C’.

Mommy said that she was still too young for them.

That didn’t stop Aunt Effie from sending her pretty coats that made her feel like a princess.

“Aunt Effie, do you think my baby will have as much hair as me?”

Her Aunt placed a cookie on a plate for her before helping her open the milk carton.

“I don’t know, Lizzie. We’ll have to see when your Mommy comes to see me.” Her Aunt looked over at Daddy, who had just come back from the potty. “When are you and Katniss coming for an appointment?”

“After we’ve announced that we’re staying,” her Daddy said. “Katniss is with Beetee right now—they’re going over her transcripts and her curriculum.” He sat down next to Uncle Haymitch. “So what do you have for me?”

“I have four properties for you.” There were papers with pictures in front of her Daddy. “Different neighborhoods that seem to have good foot traffic; however, I think what matters is that you’re near your home.”

“When we find one.”

“When we find our new house, I’m going to have a yellow room like Mommy’s,” she told her Aunt. “Can we paint it together?”

“I’d love to help you!” her Aunt replied and pressed a kiss to top of her head. “After all, I am your Godmother.”

Her Uncle Haymitch turned to her Aunt. “I have never seen you pick up a paintbrush.”

Aunt Effie’s face scrunched up and she took one of her napkins to make it into a ball. Then she quickly threw it at her Uncle’s head.

“Just because you’ve never seen me do it doesn’t mean that I can’t!” Aunt Effie replied, her arms crossed. “I could be a great painter.”

Lizzie balled up her own paper napkin and also threw it against her Uncle’s head. “YEAH! Aunt Effie can do it—she’s my fairy Godmother!”

Uncle Haymitch grinned at her Aunt. “She is a very lovely fairy.”

Lizzie watched her Aunt’s cheeks turn red—the kind of red that she could be when she put Mommy’s makeup on.

Too bad Mommy and Daddy caught her that one time—now she wasn’t allowed to use Mommy’s fluffy brushes.

“You look funny, Aunt Effie—your eyes are doing the same thing as my Mommy’s when she looks at Daddy too hard,” she told the woman.

“Oh, really?” her Aunt said.

“Yeah—and then her and Daddy have to go take a nap in their room.” Lizzie took a sip from her carton. “But I think they’re really jumping on their bed.”

“Why would you say that?” Uncle Haymitch asked. He looked over at her Daddy, who was looking down at the papers.

“Because the bed squeaks so loud!”

Big people didn’t know anything about how to jump on a bed the right way.

“I can hear it even if the door is closed! But they’re not very good at jumping on the bed—because they jump so fast and get tired too quick!” She looked to her Daddy. “Daddy, you shouldn’t jump too quickly. Mr. Gloss says that when you do activities—you have to warm up first!”

“Yeah, Peeta—do your stretches first,” Haymitch told her Daddy. Her Daddy looked mad at her Uncle—but Mommy said that it was always important to learn properly.

“And drink water, too! That’s what Mr. Gloss says.” Lizzie looked at her Aunt, who was laughing into her hands. “Mr. Gloss works at a gym—and I told him about how Daddy and Mommy get tired too easily from jumping on the bed. He says that he can train Mommy, but Daddy is hopeless.”

A snort escaped her Aunt’s mouth.

“Lucky, why don’t you help me look at these pictures?” her Daddy said.

Now he looked like he had played with Mommy’s makeup.

Going to her Daddy, she offered her cookie to him. “Here, Daddy. We can share my cookie—that way you’ll feel better. You look too red.”

Her father chuckled. “I can’t resist you, Lucky.” Slipping quickly onto her Daddy’s lap, she looked at the papers in front of her. “Is there anything that sticks out to you?”

Lizzie picked up each paper to look at the pictures on them. When she picked up the last paper, she saw that it had a big red bench next to the door.

“This one, Daddy.” She gave him the paper. “You can even put flowers next to the window.”

“Interesting pick.” Her Uncle Haymitch gave her a smile. “Your Daddy used to work there.”

“I’m pretty sure I would remember working at a fancy place like this,” Daddy said as he looked at the picture. “I would eliminate the awning or change the color of it.”

“This is Sae’s old place.” Uncle Haymitch took the paper from him. “The people that bought it opened a French restaurant and it was doing well. However, this year they found a bigger place in a more expensive neighborhood so they’re looking to sell—quick.”

“Lizzie seems to like it and she is your heir apparent,” Aunt Effie told her Daddy. She got up to take Matty from Haymitch. “I’m going to put him down for a nap.”

“May I help?” she asked her Aunt. “I want to practice so I can help Mommy with my baby.”

Aunt Effie nodded as she rocked Matty. “Of course, doll.”

She clapped in anticipation. “I can tell Matty the story about how I’m going to help Daddy build our new bakery.”

Daddy laughed at her words. “I guess it’s settled then—give the realtors a call.”

++++++

“You’re actually married, right?” Katniss asked the couple. “I mean, it wasn’t really clear when I got the picture of you on yoga mats.”

“Of course, we’re married,” Annie told her with a smile. “Spiritually.”

“I don’t mean spiritually—I mean legally,” Katniss told her.

Annie waved her hand at her. “More or less.”

Katniss wasn’t getting anywhere with Annie so she turned to Finnick.

“Care to elaborate?” she asked her friend.

“It all seems a little fuzzy…” Finnick drawled, his full lips twisting in contemplation. “I mean, we were celebrating before that.”

“That’s not important!” Annie told her. Taking Katniss’ hand, she put it to her chest. “Feel that?”

Katniss looked over at Finnick, who seemed perfectly okay with her feeling his wife up. “Feel what?”

“Katniss!” Annie suddenly put a hand to Katniss’ own breast. “SEE?”

She looked down at her friend groping her. “See what? Besides your hand on my tit.”

“Am I interrupting something?” Peeta appeared beside her and she let out a sigh of relief. He looked between the two. “Is this a woman thing?”

Annie smiled. “No, no!” She took his hand to put it to her free breast and then nodded at Katniss’ free breast. “Now hers!”

Katniss scowled at him as he hesitantly followed Annie’s directions. “Seriously?”

“Don’t you see? THEY FEEL THE SAME!” Their friend beamed at them. “I mean, mine aren’t as big yet—but I’m sure they’ll blow up once the baby gets bigger—”

“You’re pregnant?” Katniss cried out and pulled Annie into a hug. “THANK GOD YOU’RE NOT A PERVERT!”

“I wouldn’t just feel your tits for nothing,” Annie responded. “Though I’ll admit, I did find it strangely arousing.”

“Congratulations, man,” Peeta told Finnick. “And sorry I groped your wife.”

“It’s cool.” Finnick turned to Katniss. “Maybe you’ll let me—”

Katniss glared at the man. “Touch me and DIE.”

“Now that my duties are done for this party, I can finally enjoy myself,” Peeta told them.

He had spent a majority of the week baking for Cal and Rue’s reception. Anna and her mother had done a great job throwing together the wedding party in the Mellarks’ spacious yard.

Everyone seemed to be having a great time on this particularly warm evening.

Her sister and Will had made the speeches, seeing as they were the witnesses to the actual ceremony. The two quickly left the stage and went their separate ways as soon as their time together was over. They were still in hot water with both sets of parents.

Her sister, at the moment, was walking around the party with her camera in her hands taking photos of the guests. She spotted Prim taking a picture of Rue with her parents, who had flown in for the party.

“Did you want to dance?” Peeta suddenly asked and she turned to her husband. He smiled shyly at her. “I mean, I know we’re not the best, but no harm could come from a dance, right?”

He held out his hand and she placed her hand in his.

Together, they went to the dance floor, a few paces away from the house and closer to the edge of the property that overlooked the city. She waved at Rory, who was playing DJ for the night.

Her sister’s ex seemed to be keeping an extra eye on Prim tonight.

Peeta weaved an arm around her waist and she placed a hand on his shoulder as they began their dance. The music was slow so they didn’t have to worry about being in rhythm. She found herself less coordinated whenever she was pregnant.

“How are you, Mrs. Mellark?” her husband asked. “I feel like I haven’t seen you all night.”

“Other than being felt up, I’m great,” she replied as she leaned forward to kiss Peeta. He sighed contentedly as she pulled away, a grin on his face. “And you, Mr. Mellark?”

“Signed the papers this morning—I’ll have the keys to the property by tomorrow,” Peeta told her. “Seems the owners needed to act quick on their new property so I negotiated a good price.”

“I will start at the hospital in two weeks,” she added. “Now we’ll just need to tell the family.”

“We’re all going to Johanna and Gale’s for dinner on Sunday, so we can just do it then,” Peeta replied and she nodded in agreement.

“May we cut in?”

They turned to see her Dad with Lizzie, who was wearing her favorite yellow dress. Her latest favorite—it had been Jenna’s and resembled the one from the movie version of _Beauty and the Beast_.

Peeta gave her a smile. “Sorry, honey. I can’t say no to a Disney Princess,” he told her.

Katniss kissed him quickly. “Have fun, you two.” She turned to her father and gave him a smile. “Hey Dad—want to dance with a pregnant lady?”

Gabe grinned at her before taking her hand and wrapping his arm around her waist.

“I never got to dance with you at your wedding,” her father told her.

“Sorry about that,” she replied with a grin. “I was a little too busy pushing Lizzie-bug out of me.”

“It’s a shame that we won’t be able to watch you grow with this one,” he said. Her father met her eyes. “Unless, there is something that you want to tell me…”

“Like what?”

Gabe grinned at her. “Well, I had my annual exam with Beetee—”

“He cannot keep his mouth shut,” Katniss muttered. She looked to her father who was beaming. “You cannot say anything, even to Mom, until this Sunday. Promise me.”

“I promise, sweetheart,” Her father replied. “I’m really glad you’re coming home.”

She embraced him. “Me, too.”

“HEY, YOU!”

Katniss turned to see her husband rushing towards the late arrivals of the party—Thresh and Cato.

“Watch Lizzie,” she instructed her father.

“What are you doing?” he asked her.

“Stopping my husband from punching his friends—right after I knee both of them in the groin.”

++++++

“Jenna, what color is this?”

“It’s called ‘Glass Slipper,’” Jenna replied with a smile. “Isn’t it pretty? Mom said that I’m allowed to wear nail polish on the weekend.”

“Ohhh…” Lizzie stared at her friend’s fingernails. “It’s so sparkly.” She looked over at her Mommy. “Mommy, can I wear nail polish?”

“When you’re nine like Jenna, you can,” Mommy said as she put a piece of pizza on Lizzie’s plate. She looked over at Aunt Johanna. “Thanks a lot!”

“Gale is the one who caved!” Aunt Johanna replied before looking at Uncle Gale. “He can’t refuse her!”

“I can understand that,” her Daddy said. He sat next to Mommy and met her eyes. “It’s hard to say no to Lucky.”

“Finally! Someone who is on my side!” Uncle Gale said with a smile.

Jenna smiled at her Daddy, her dark hair swinging as she looked at him. “I’m on your side, Daddy.”

Lizzie bounced in her seat. “Me too, Uncle Gale!”

“You two are my favorite girls,” her Uncle Gale replied fondly.

“HEY!” Mommy and Aunt Johanna yelled at the same time.

“What about us?” Mommy said with her funny pretending voice.

“Are we chopped liver or something?” Aunt Johanna asked.

Lizzie loved being with her family. She got to meet so many new Grandmas and Grandpas; like Aunt Johanna’s Mommy and Daddy and Uncle Gale’s Mommy and Daddy, too.

They even got to sit at a big round table and she could see everyone from her spot.

Papa and Grammy were on one side, next to Grandma and Grandpa with all the other Grandmas and Grandpas. Aunt Johanna and Uncle Gale were right in front of her.

Next to Jenna were Auntie Prim and Uncle Rory, who were chatting quietly. Auntie Rue and Uncle Cal were next to them with Uncle Will at the end.

Uncle Will looked lonely—and was staring at Auntie Prim too hard.

Maybe he needed to jump on a bed, too.

Daddy stood up. He smiled over at her and Mommy. “We wanted to make an announcement.”

“We already know that you knocked Katniss up again,” Johanna called out.

“That wasn’t it,” Katniss retorted. “Now shut up, please.”

Her Daddy put a hand on Mommy’s shoulder. “Katniss, Lucky, and I—we’re moving back home! Katniss is going to continue her program at Beetee’s hospital and has signed on to become an attending doctor in a year.”

There was a loud scream from everyone and Lizzie covered her ears.

Everyone was hugging and kissing her. Jenna was telling her that they could go swimming together every weekend.

“I’ve never been swimming,” Lizzie replied, fascinated.

“I’ll teach you,” Jenna replied proudly. “I’m the fastest swimmer in fourth grade, you know!”

“Where are you going to live?” Grammy asked as she wiped her eyes. She had hugged Mommy so tight that Lizzie worried her baby couldn’t breathe.

“We’re still looking,” Mommy told them. “For now, we’re going to stay in Johanna and Gale’s pool house. It’s close to Effie’s office, and close to the elementary school that we’re enrolling Lizzie in.”

“That seems fine for now,” Papa replied with a grin. “Now does anyone have anything else that they want to say before I pull out the good wine?”

“Actually, I do.” Uncle Rory stood up before he turned to her Auntie Prim.

Auntie Prim was turning as white as the pretty dress she was wearing. “Rory—”

“I know that we’ve been on and off for a while,” Uncle Rory said. “But I think we still love each other enough to make it work. I know that you wanted commitment before and I couldn’t give it to you. I do now.”

“Rory, you don’t know what I want anymore,” her Auntie Prim told him in a tiny voice.

Auntie Prim looked upset again—her big blue eyes were full of water.

Lizzie wanted to hug her, but something inside kept her stuck to her seat.

“I know that you wanted to get married,” Uncle Rory said. “So why don’t we?”

Uncle Will stood up suddenly, pushing his chair so hard that Lizzie could feel the vibration under her.

He was looking at Auntie Prim, who looked back at him.

Now they were both staring at each other too hard—just like her Mommy and Daddy did sometimes.

“You’re staring too hard, Uncle Will,” Lizzie called out, finding her voice. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Her Uncle Will blinked and then turned to look at her. “You’re right, honey.” He went to her and kissed the top of her head before squeezing Jenna’s shoulder briefly. “I shouldn’t hurt myself—not anymore.” He looked up at Auntie Prim, who was suddenly standing. “Excuse me.”

“Now you’re staring too hard, Auntie Prim,” Lizzie told her.

Uncle Will was quickly walking out, closing the front door behind him quietly.

“Prim?” Mommy called out. “Are you okay?”

Auntie Prim nodded at her Mommy before turning to Uncle Rory.

“I’m sorry, Rory. That life—it’s not what I want anymore,” her Auntie said and she wiped her eyes. “So I can’t marry you.”

Auntie Prim looked around the table.

“I actually had an announcement of my own. The online magazine that I’ve been working for promoted me to their Travel section. I’m going to be their lead photographer and my first assignment is in Southeast Asia. So I’m going to be moving Thailand—for six months.”

++++++

“Can I move the wand around?” Lizzie asked her godmother.

“If your Mommy says that it’s okay,” Effie replied with an adoring smile. “It’s weird—the first time I saw you—you were practically eraser size.”

“I was?” Their daughter’s deep blue eyes were wide as saucers. “Did you know I would be your Goddaughter?”

“I knew you would be special,” their doctor replied fondly. Effie took Lizzie’s hand and started to move the sonogram wand along Katniss’ belly. She looked over at her and Peeta. “So, according to Haymitch, the dinner was a disaster.”

“Yes,” she replied worriedly, before looking Peeta, who pressed a supportive kiss to her forehead. “Unexpected proposals, new promotions, and a bunch of hurt feelings—the usual.”

She and Prim had spent the whole night in the sitting room of the pool house after the infamous dinner.

Her younger sister had finally confided in her, tears running down her pretty face.

Prim had been embarrassed by the whole Las Vegas incident, but it had nothing to do with Will and everything to do with her. She had always harbored some sort of crush on Will; it had been superficial when they first met.

While Katniss and Peeta were on the East Coast, Prim and Will eventually became friends. They had an interest in unique destinations; Will kept a journal of all his travels and Prim enjoyed reading from it. Whenever Will came back from a business trip, he always took her to lunch to tell her about it.

Prim credited him for her traveling ambitions.

Then Las Vegas happened and it changed everything. Both of them had agreed that what happened—numerous times—during the trip would stay between them. They were still friends and in-laws—so that was that.

Except that Prim could not forget Will’s kiss. And Katniss watched as Prim’s face lit up while describing the feel of his touch.

Her sister was tragically in love; it was beautiful and painful to see.

“I heard,” Effie said as she watched the screen. “Your sister and Peeta’s brother—how very _Flowers in the Attic_. What’s going to happen now?”

“Prim is leaving at the end of the month for Thailand, so she’s occupying her time with packing up her apartment,” she told Effie.

“No one has heard anything from Will,” Peeta added. “Gale says that Rory is doing okay. He realized that he was asking for something he didn’t want, either.  He’s actually cleared everything up with Prim and they’re friends again.”

“We’re still homeless, but Johanna and Gale’s place is working well for now,” Katniss said as she looked over at the screen. “The baby looks like he or she is waving.” She looked over at Peeta. “What do you think—blond or brunette?”

“Blond, I think,” Peeta said with a smile. “Have to even the score.” He kissed Katniss and as they pulled apart, she smiled against his lips. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For Lucky, for him or her, and for pulling me into that cab,” he told her. “Sometimes the most unlikely actions can bring the best things.”

Effie continued her examination. “Important question—do you want to know if the baby is a boy or a girl?”

“What do you think, Lucky?” Peeta asked their daughter.

They both agreed that they wanted to know. They just had to get Lizzie on board.

“Okay…” Lizzie said after a moment. “But I get to tell everyone else.”

“Agreed,” Katniss told her daughter.

The door suddenly burst open and Will was walking in, a nurse rushing behind him.

Her brother-in-law looked like he hadn’t bothered to shave, shower, or run a comb through his hair in at least a week.

“I’m sorry Dr. Abernathy!” The nurse said. “He refused to stay out front!”

“It’s fine. This is Mr. and Mrs. Mellark’s brother,” Effie assured the woman as she eyed Will. “The unkempt version, anyway. Just close the door, my dear.”

The nurse left quickly, glaring at Will before she closed the door.

“What is going on here?” Peeta asked his brother. “This is an important appointment.”

“I’m sorry,” Will told them. “Everything just seems all wrong…” He looked at the couple. “Nothing tastes the same and the songs that I hate suddenly make sense.”

“My God, you’re dense,” Effie said to the man.

“I’m not,” Will argued firmly, his eyes pleading at the couple. “I know what I want—I want _her_. I want Prim.”

Katniss looked at her brother-in-law with exasperation. “That’s all well and good—but we’re kind of in the middle of something.”

She gestured at the screen where her uterus was showing.

“Effie was about to tell us the sex of the baby,” Peeta told him. “After this, we can go to lunch and we’ll talk about it.”

“Sorry,” her brother-in-law said. “Didn’t mean to barge in on your appointment, I just didn’t know who else to talk to.”

“Apologize to your niece,” their doctor told him.

Will turned to Lizzie. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s okay,” her daughter replied cheerfully.

“No, I meant _this_ niece,” Effie said as she pointed to the screen with a grin.

It took a moment for Effie’s words to register in Katniss’ mind.

She pushed herself up on her elbows. “Oh my God… did you just say that we’re having another girl?”

“Yes. Congratulations. And looking at this shot,” the doctor looked to Peeta. “You might have your blond.”

“Blond or not, I just adore girls,” Peeta said before kissing Katniss. “I love you.”

Katniss reached up to cup his cheek. “Love you, too.” She looked to her eldest daughter. “What do you think about having a sister?”

“We can share nail polish just like Jenna shares with me!” Lizzie told them excitedly.

Peeta shook his head. “It begins.”

“Congratulations,” Will said. “You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

“So do you,” Katniss told him before smirking. “Even if you did walk into an appointment where my vagina is fully exposed.”

++++++

When Peeta pulled up to Will’s house, he was surprised by a few things.

First, the closeness of it to the bakery site and the Hawthorne house.

Second, the spaciousness; it almost rivaled the Everdeen home in terms of size. It was classically white and columned with a large tree in the front yard and a wraparound porch.

Will, who sat in the passenger’s seat, seemed to read his mind. “I bought it a long time ago thinking that I’d have a family for it. Years passed and that just never happened, but I kept it as my home in-between travels.”

“It’s beautiful,” Katniss said as they stepped out of the car. She took Lucky’s hand as they walked up the brick pathway leading to the porch. “And HUGE!”

“Neighbors are nice—they keep a lookout on the place when I’m away,” Will explained as he reached into his pocket to pull out his keys. “I don’t have much in the kitchen but we can order takeout—”

They suddenly halted when they saw who was sitting against the front door—Prim.

Lucky waved excitedly at Prim. “Auntie Prim!”

“Hey Lizzie-bear.” She shot up from her seat and gave everyone an embarrassed smile before looking to Will.

“I didn’t know that you had company; I thought that we could talk,” Prim told Peeta’s brother.

Peeta looked to Will. “I thought no one else knew about the house.”

“This was a recent development,” Will replied.

“Why don’t we just get this all out in the open?” Katniss suddenly said. “Will, you are so in love with my sister that you hijacked my prenatal appointment to get us to help you win Prim back.”

She looked to her sister. “Prim, you told me that his kiss was different from all the others and that _has_ to mean something. I’m pretty sure, however, that you’re in love with him, too.” Katniss took her sister’s hand. “So I’m going to give you the same advice you gave me: this is the one—make it count.”

“My kiss is different?” His brother moved toward Prim with a grin. “Is that true?”

A smile played on Prim’s lips. “You hijacked my sister’s baby appointment?”

His brother had the good grace to look somewhat shameful. “Guilty.”

“I know that we don’t have anything figured out,” Prim told him. “But, Katniss—as always—is right. To me, your kiss is different from anyone else’s. And, trust me. I’ve had to kiss _a lot_ of people to figure—”

Will cut her off quickly, taking her face in his hands, and pressing his lips to hers until Prim fell against him.

Prim beamed as they pulled away. “Well, okay then.”

“Yay—happy ending,” Katniss burst out impatiently. “Now can we please go inside? I have to pee because Effie made me drink a lot of water—and your new niece is jumping on my bladder!”

++++++

**_One Week Later_ **

Lizzie walked out onto the porch along with her parents to say hello to her family.

“Hey everyone,” Daddy called out with a big smile. “Come in!”

Grandma stared up at the house in amazement. “Where are we?”

“Questions later, Grandma,” Lizzie replied. “Let’s go inside! Auntie Prim and Uncle Will are waiting for us.”

“Is that a good thing or bad thing?” Uncle Cal asked with an amused smile. Besides him, Auntie Rue poked him before laughing.

Lizzie was good at keeping secrets. She had kept a lot of them these last two weeks, even though it had been really hard. She really wanted to tell Jenna some of them while they were practicing how to swim with Uncle Gale.

Mommy and Daddy told her that because she was going to be a big sister, they had to put a lot of trust in her. According to her Daddy, trust was very important with people you love. When she asked why, he told her that having people you can trust with your feelings was a rare and important thing. Once people lose trust in you—it’s hard to find again.

She wanted her little sister to trust her like Auntie Prim trusted her Mommy, because they always seemed to be giggling about secrets lately.

Lizzie waved everyone towards the living room. “Come on in, everyone!”

In the living room, Auntie Prim and Uncle Will sat together in the small couch next to the big white fireplace. They smiled much more now and Uncle Will finally shaved his face. He looked much prettier now that he showered and combed his hair.

He and Auntie Prim stared a whole lot, too. She wondered if they ever jumped on beds with one another—she even suggested that Mommy and Daddy tell them to.

Daddy had to explain what she meant to Mommy.

Mommy then explained that only married grown-ups are allowed to do that.

She rushed over to her Auntie Prim, who put an arm around her. “You excited, Lizzie-bug?”

“Yes!” Lizzie clapped her hands over her mouth. “Mommy and Daddy said I had to wait to tell though.”

“It won’t be long, sweetheart,” Uncle Will said as everyone gathered in the living room. “We have to get a few things out of the way first. Then, you get to take over.”

“I’m not sure if we should be happy or worried,” Grammy said as she sat across from them on the couch that Mommy had picked out. Her pretty Grammy looked at Auntie Prim. “Is there something that we need to talk about?”

“We will, Mom,” Auntie Prim replied as she waved at Uncle Cal and Auntie Rue. “For now, let’s give the floor to Katniss and Peeta.”

“This is a beautiful place,” Papa said. “It looks a lot like our home.”

Her Grandpa nodded in agreement. “It does, except the door is dark green.”

“I’m sure that you’ve all figured this out—but as of last week, this is our new home,” Daddy announced with his arm around Mommy. “We apologize for all the secrecy, but the owner and I needed to negotiate before he heads off to Thailand.”

Daddy looked over at Uncle Will, as did everyone else.

“Will, this is your house?” Grandma said in shock. “You’ve never brought us here!”

“It _was_ my house.” Uncle Will reached into his pocket and tossed Daddy a set of keys. “The spares, Peeta.” Her Uncle looked at Grandma. “We always went to your place and I was never here anyway.”

“And what does Peeta mean by Thailand?” Grammy suddenly asked.

Auntie Prim took her Uncle Will’s hand. “What Peeta meant is that Will is coming to Thailand—with me.”

Everyone went silent at the news.

Finally, Papa Gabe spoke up.

“Are you happy?” he asked Auntie Prim.

Auntie Prim nodded, her smile bigger than Lizzie had ever seen. “Finally.”

“Then take care of one another,” Grandpa told them with a sigh. He took Grandma’s hand. “Someone got him out of his workaholic ways—and we know that she’s exceptionally special—so we don’t have to worry.”

“Glad that someone tamed those wild beasts!” Uncle Cal told everyone with a laugh. “Now you’ll have to name your first kid after either me or Rue!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Grammy said. She put a finger to her chin. “Though a wedding in Thailand…”

“Mom! Let’s not rush them,” Mommy called out. “Speaking of family, Lizzie would like to take everyone on a special tour of the house.”

Lizzie jumped from her seat. “FOLLOW ME, EVERYONE!”

She ran out of the living room to the large stairway in the middle room. She loved the chandelier above them—it looked like the one in Uncle Marvel and Aunt Glimmer’s house. When she went to visit them with Mommy and Daddy, Francis and Ellie, the twins, said they were going to the same school as she was—and they were lots of fun.

“This is our staircase,” she started. “Daddy says that I’m not allowed to slide off the banister—so no one else can, either!”

“We’ll restrain ourselves,” Grandpa told her as he followed her with a smile. Everyone followed behind him, with Mommy and Daddy being last in the group.

They already heard the tour before—she practiced a lot with them.

When they got to the long hallway, she went to the door all the way at the end—which was actually two doors. Grandma Angelica, Aunt Johanna’s Mommy, said that this was the fastest redeco-something that she ever did.

“This is Mommy and Daddy’s room,” Lizzie explained. She opened the door so that everyone could look inside. “They have their own bathroom—Mommy says I can practice swimming in it.”

 She pointed at their bed—it was even bigger now with four long sticks on each corner.

“This is Mommy and Daddy’s bed—I picked out the green blankets because Mommy likes green. Also, this bed doesn’t squeak as much so when they jump on it at night—it won’t be as loud.”

“Oh—TMI, there,” Uncle Cal said with a grin as he looked at Mommy and Daddy. “No wonder you’re having another baby—too much jumping on the bed.”

“If you jump on a bed then you’ll have babies?” Lizzie turned to her parents. “I jumped on a bed with Francis and Ellie—does that mean I’ll have a baby, too?”

“No, honey,” her Mommy said before she looked at Uncle Cal with her mean face. “That’s not how babies are made.”

“Then how are they made?” she asked.

“Why don’t you continue the tour, Lucky?” Daddy asked with a red-face. “And let’s not talk about jumping on beds anymore.”

She nodded in agreement. If it was going to make her Daddy look like he was always playing with makeup brushes, then she would stop.

Lizzie rushed back into the hall. She pointed to the closed door next to her.

“This is where Uncle Will and Auntie Prim sleep,” she explained.

“Primrose!” Grammy said with a hard stare. “You have your own apartment.”

Auntie Prim shrugged. “Sometimes I would be here late talking to Katniss and helping with the redecorating.”

Auntie Rue opened the door across from it. “There’s a bedroom here, too.”

Uncle Will looked at Auntie Rue. “You’re no help, eloper.”

“We’re going to have a talk before you leave,” Grandma said sternly.

“Yes, Mom,” her Uncle said and put his head down—but not before winking at Lizzie.

Lizzie went to the room with giant ‘E’ on it. “This is my room!”

Opening the door, she walked inside proudly.

She had asked her Grandma Angelica to make it just like Mommy’s room—yellow, dandelion walls and grey blankets and pillows. Her dollhouse was in the corner along with her bookshelf.

“This looks great,” Papa Gabe said to her. “It looks exactly like your Mommy’s room.”

She went to him and took his hand before walking him over to the door across the hall.

“I even told Grandma Angelica to decorate the baby’s room exactly like Auntie Prim’s!”

Opening the door, Lizzie walked into pink and white nursery—her favorite part was the round crib with the white curtain covering it.

“And this is where Jane is going to sleep,” she told them.

Everyone was silent as they looked around her sister’s pretty pink room. Everything was soft and pretty—it all smelled like flowers and sunshine. She went over to the white bookshelf to make sure that all the books she arranged were correct.

She, Mommy, and Daddy were reading to Jane at night, even though she was still in Mommy’s belly. That way Jane wouldn’t be scared of their voices—she would know that they were her family.

“You’re having a girl?” Grandma asked Mommy and Daddy in a soft voice.

“And you’re naming her Jane?” her Grammy added.

“But that’s MY name!” Auntie Prim said. “My middle name, anyway.”

“We figured we’d keep the tradition of naming our daughters after their Godmothers,” Mommy said before she smiled at Daddy. “We think that you’d be a perfect Godmother to our Jane.”

Her family was shouting again.

Lizzie was being carried, hugged and kissed, though she didn’t know exactly who was doing what.

Her family was strange.

She would have to remember to tell Jane that.

They were always screaming, or yelling, or crying. Sometimes they stared too hard at one another, or they would slam doors or chairs.

But, they also did other things—nice things.

Mommy and Daddy always danced with each other—only when they thought no one was looking.

Her Uncles were always making each other laugh or making Daddy laugh. Mommy and Auntie Prim were always giggling to themselves. Her Papa Gabe would play the piano and Grammy would sing her to sleep sometimes. Grandma always showed her pretty pictures and told her about them while Grandpa would show her his house drawings, trying to teach her about archy-tech-ture.

Uncle Cal was always watching Auntie Rue. Sometimes Lizzie would see him play with her Auntie’s dark curly hair, twirling bits of it around his finger just to watch it spring back in place. And when Uncle Will made s’mores for them in the fireplace—he always made sure to blow on her and Auntie Prim’s marshmallows so they wouldn’t burn themselves.

Her family was strange—but she loved them anyway.

She would tell Jane that, too.

* * *

 

No more notes for now.

Does anyone get the literary reference from one of my favorite authors?

As always—I would love to write more in this universe in either drabble or one-shot form—requests are welcome!

Thanks for reading,

 JLaLa


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